SMS Assist is proud to share that our CEO, Mike Rothman, is a finalist for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards. Recognized as one of the most prestigious business award programs in the country, the EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards celebrate the country’s most innovative business leaders.
One of SMS Assist’s core values is entrepreneurial spirit; we are constantly striving to discover new and better innovations to help our clients in a way that’s never been done before. We are so honored that our CEO has been nominated for this award, as it truly shows how the value of entrepreneurship and thinking outside of the box resonates throughout our entire organization. Our core values and innovative mindset has led us in the development of our platform, One by SMS Assist.
The Nomination Process
EY received more than 1,500 nominations across all regions for this year’s awards, and Mike is one of 29 finalists for the Midwest regional program.
Entrepreneurs can be nominated or self-nominated and submit a free, online application including company background, references, financial information and an essay highlighting their backgrounds and accomplishments as a business leader. Based on a balanced scorecard, awards are given to entrepreneurs who have demonstrated excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance, risk and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. The award winners are then selected in a number of industry categories by a panel of independent judges that includes previous winners of the award, leading CEOs, private capital investors and other regional business leaders.
Awards Schedule
Finalists attended a reception on May 11th, where they interviewed with EY judges and spoke about their vision, inspiration, passions, and values. Winners of the Midwest regional program will be announced at an awards gala on June 15th, at the Navy Pier Grand Ballroom. Regional award winners are then invited to attend the Strategic Growth Forum and National Awards Gala in Palm Desert, California, from November 16-20, 2016, where national awards winners are announced. The overall national US winner will go on to compete for the World Entrepreneur of the Year title in Monaco in 2017.
Past Winners
Mike’s nomination for the EY Entrepreneur of The Year puts him in great company. A notable past winner includes J.B. Pritzker of Pritzker Group, who sits on SMS Assist’s board of directors. Past regional winners include Ross Freedman and Brad Schneider of Rightpoint, Al Goldstein of Avant, Bonnie Micheli and Tracy Roemer of Shred415, Lou Gentine and Louie Gentine of Sargento Foods, Cary Wood of Sparton Corporation, Scott Mandell of Enjoy Life Natural Brands and others.
How Being Entrepreneurs Helps Our Clients
Our vision can only be accomplished with an entrepreneurial and creative mindset. We're constantly working to improve our propriety technology platform, and use information gathered from our 20,000+ Affiliates and 110,000+ client locations to help build on the success we've already seen through our technology. Our spirit and leadership is what moves us forward, and is what drives us to go above and beyond for our clients.
As Mike said, "You have to be innovative, provide high-quality services, be proactive and be adaptive to succeed. Everything has already been done the old way. Find a new way to do it better, or someone else will." At SMS Assist, we're doing just that. Learn more about our One by SMS Assist platform, and stay up to date with our news as we cheer on Mike for the EY Entrepreneur of The Year Award!