3 local businessmen named EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year
June 30, 2015 | Bobby Burch
Three Kansas City area businesspeople recently snagged one of the most prestigious awards for entrepreneurs.
EY announced Monday the winners of the Entrepreneur of the Year 2015 for the central Midwest, which included three businessmen from the Kansas City metro area. Those receiving the commendation included: Jody Brazil, CEO of FireMon; Matthew Perry, President of GENESYS Systems Integrator; and Bill Zahner, President and CEO of A Zahner Company.
“EY has honored outstanding entrepreneurs for the past 29 years,” Mike Hickenbotham, EY Entrepreneur of the Year Program Director for the Central Midwest, said in a release. “These winners are accomplished leaders who have contributed a tremendous amount to their communities, and we’re proud to recognize their successes.”
Since 1986, the EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards recognizes business leaders in more than 145 cities in 60 countries around the world. Regional award winners are eligible for consideration for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year national program, which will be announced Nov. 14.
Featured Business

2015 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Sustainable data center near downtown KCMO to help power capacity with $143M investment
Kansas City is building on its reputation as a hub for partners looking to tap into a region rich with infrastructure built for the future, said Steven Anthony, announcing the grand opening of another major, sustainable data center in KCMO. Edged — a vertically integrated global platform of on-demand data centers with operations designed to…
Potato Potatas grows the business of comfort food from the ground up (and in a pot pie)
Two years ago, Trine’ce Brown took note of restaurant chains like Chipotle and Qdoba, and wondered why there wasn’t already a fast-casual potato bar concept. She decided to start her own — but taking small steps, first working out of a Northland kitchen commissary, the Culinary Center at the Mid-Continent Public Library, starting in May.…
KC2026 team hires cybersecurity, explosives expert for key World Cup ops-planning role
In its latest high-profile move, the team behind Kansas City’s 2026 World Cup planning has tapped a former U.S. Secret Service special agent — notably the veteran of a years-long United Nations General Assembly assignment — to lead KC2026’s safety and security efforts. Kyle Postell already has led critical infrastructure protection efforts, conducted comprehensive vulnerability…
How KC’s most iconic new art installation became this season’s must-have holiday ornament (plus where to find the 14-inch version flying)
“On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a jazz bird in a pear tree,” sculptor Willie Cole said in a singsong voice. The artist behind “Ornithology” — an eye-catching and newly iconic installation suspended within Kansas City International Airport since its new terminal’s debut in March 2023 — this fall…
