EY picked four North Carolina entrepreneurs as regional winners in its annual competition honoring “visionary leaders of high-growth companies driving innovation, growth and prosperity.”
They are among 10 Southeast finalists for the national Entrepreneur of the Year award in November by the consulting and accounting business.
Those selected were:
- Christopher Chuang, co-founder and CEO, Relay Inc., Raleigh.
- Kurt Jacobus, co-founder, chairman and CEO, restor3d Inc., Durham.
- Cindy Eckert, founder and CEO, Sprout Pharmaceuticals, Raleigh
- Cyrus Mojdehi, president, Northway Homes, Charlotte
Regional winners were selected by a panel of past winners, CEOs and business leaders. Criteria included “long-term value creation, entrepreneurial spirit, purpose-driven commitment, and significant growth and impact.”
Relay is a cloud-based communications software technology platform. Chuang is the former CEO of Republic Wireless and former chief operating officer of Raleigh-based Bandwidth.
Restor3d produces musculoskeletal implants. Jacobus is a veteran executive and board member in the medical technology industry.
Sprout makes Addyi, the first FDA-approved pill for female low libido. Eckert sold the business to Valeant for $1 billion in 2015, then repurchased the company two years later as part of a lawsuit settlement.
Northway is a home builder mainly in the Charlotte area. Mojdehi cofounded the company in 2021.
David Mildenberg is editor of Business North Carolina. Reach him at dmildenberg@businessnc.com.