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
Artists as activists: Meet the KC group whose creative approach to advocacy needs little interpretation
A Kansas City nonprofit is training local artists on the intersection of art and public policy, hoping to create a generation of creatives ready to advocate for their communities. Heartland Arts KC aims to position Kansas City as a hub of local arts activism, said Logan Stacer, executive artistic director. “I want Kansas City to…
Off to college (towns): Axe throwing, mini golf set for Manhattan, Lawrence as Swell Spark expands at home
Swell Spark is once again expanding its locations, but this time Matt Baysinger and his team are scaling into smaller markets in the founder’s home state of Kansas. Swell Spark — a Kansas City-based entertainment company that creates shared experiences through escape rooms, axe throwing and indoor mini golf — is set to open a…
Athletes to angels: Startup player switches teams, leaving his venture to help connect founders to capital
Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. WICHITA — As a fellow founder, Jacob O’Connor can offer empathy in his new role within the NXTUS angel investor syndicate, he shared. After graduating from Wichita State University in…
It’s cannabis trusted by top athletes: How this CBD brand’s KC leader fit everyday wellness with UFC, Crossfit, Royals
A Kansas City-based entrepreneur wants to prove how everyone — from athletes to individuals suffering from chronic health conditions — can benefit from CBD, he said. Dan Huerter, CEO of Pure Spectrum CBD, helped launch the organic phytocannabinoid company in 2016 after learning how CBD had benefited patients suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)…
