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Entrepreneur of the Year

2026 Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards

EY Heartland Awards were presented to leaders from six Minnesota businesses.
By TCB Staff
August 21, 2026
2026 Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards

Eleven Minnesotans from six businesses were among the winners of EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year 2026 Heartland Awards.

The Minnesota businesspeople were honored alongside winners from Missouri and Kansas during an EY gala held in June in Minneapolis.

Award candidates were evaluated on long-term value creation, entrepreneurial spirit, purpose-driven commitment, and significant growth and impact.

“Through their vision, focus, and commitment to growth, the winners are building companies that move markets forward, create opportunities for their teams, and strengthen the communities around them,” said Zac Smith, co-director of the Entrepreneur of the Year 2026 Heartland Awards.

In announcing the selections, EY took note of the fact that many different types of businesses were honored. “It celebrates original founders who bootstrapped their business from inception or who raised outside capital to grow their company, transformational CEOs who infused innovation into an existing organization to catapult its trajectory, and multigenerational family business leaders who reimagined a legacy business model to strengthen it for the future,” the firm said in a news release.
Leaders from eight other Minnesota companies were finalists for the awards.

Twin Cities Business profiles these accomplished business leaders in this issue with special focus on the Minnesota winners. Business leaders serve as judges for the competition, many are former winners.

The winners are eligible to compete for EY’s national Entrepreneur of the Year awards.

2026 EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards