Local Business Leaders Finalists in Entrepreneur of the Year Awards

Two Aliso Viejo-based entrepreneurs are finalists in the Orange County Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.

 Neel Grover of Buy.com, Ronald Andrews of Clarient Inc. and 13 other finalists were selected by a panel of judges that included past winners, CEOs, regional business leaders and private capital investors.

 “These finalists create jobs in our area, encouraging community development and innovation in our broader economy,” said Kim Letch, Entrepreneur of the Year Orange County program director. “No matter who wins on June 11, we know one thing for sure: Orange County is enriched by every one of these finalists.”

 Winners will be announced during a gala at the Hyatt Regency in Huntington Beach.

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Entrepreneur of the Year program recognizes business leaders from 50 countries in the following areas:

• Innovation
• Financial performance
• Personal commitment to their businesses and communities

Regional leaders will be recognized at the gala in June, followed by the national awards in November.  Jay Leno is scheduled to host the Entrepreneur of the Year National Awards gala in Palm Springs.

The gala is the culminating event of the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum, a gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies, according to a press release.

The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2011 Orange County finalists:

• Linda Reyes Stone, APR Consulting Inc.
• Neel Grover, Buy.com
• Ronald Andrews, Clarient Inc.
• Puneet Nanda, Dr. Fresh Inc.
• Praful Kulkarni, GKK Works
• Richard Heard, Insight Investments LLC
• Anant Desai, Interface Rehab Inc.
• Reynolds Bish, Kofax
• Heath Clarke, Local.com
• Steven Brown, Nexgen Pharma Inc.
• Wade Olson, Precept
• Dr. Joseph Pham, QSC Audio Products LLC
• Dr. Rajesh Shrotriya, Spectrum Pharmaceuticals Inc.
• Richard Ham, US Lighting Tech
• Mohan Tavorath, Walz Group