SEATTLE, June 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EY is pleased to announce the winners of the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2018 Pacific Northwest Region Awards. As the world’s most prestigious business awards program for entrepreneurs, Entrepreneur Of The Year recognizes business leaders who are excelling in areas such as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. The entrepreneurs noted below were selected by a panel of independent judges and unveiled at a special black tie Awards gala on Friday, June 15, 2018, at the Westin Seattle.

Entrepreneur Of The Year 2018 Pacific Northwest Award Winners

“These winners have disrupted industries, created new products and successfully fueled innovation and growth in the Pacific Northwest,” said Sue Borgman, Principal, Ernst & Young LLP, and Director, Entrepreneur Of The Year. “We are proud to honor these inspiring leaders who are redefining how we live, work and play.”

The winners of the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2018 Pacific Northwest Region Awards are:

• Claudia Mitchell, Co-Founder and CEO | Universal Cells, Inc. (Seattle, Washington)
• Cole Morgan, Co-Founder and CEO | Snap! Mobile, Inc. (Seattle, Washington)
• David Wasielewski, Managing Partner | Din Tai Fung Restaurant (Bellevue, Washington)
• Eugenio Pace, Co-Founder and CEO | Auth0 (Bellevue, Washington)
• Mike Fritz, CEO | DWFritz Automation (Wilsonville, Oregon)
• Olowo-n'djo Tchala, Founder and CEO | Alaffia (Olympia, Washington)
• Sean Muller, Founder and CEO | iSpot.tv, Inc. (Bellevue, Washington)
• Werner G. Nistler, Jr., Founder and Chairman | Touchmark (Beaverton, Oregon)

Now in its 32nd year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year program has expanded to recognize business leaders in more than 145 cities and more than 60 countries throughout the world.

To learn more about the Pacific Northwest program, please visit ey.com/us/eoy/pnw. Join us in congratulating this year’s winners on social media by following us @EY_EOYUS and using #EOYPNW.

Regional award winners are now eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner, will be announced at the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards gala in Palm Springs, California, on November 10, 2018. The awards are the culminating event of the Strategic Growth Forum^®, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies. The Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner then moves on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Award in Monaco in June 2019.

Sponsors
Founded and produced by EY, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are nationally sponsored in the US by SAP America, the Kauffman Foundation and Merrill Corporation.

In the Pacific Northwest Region, sponsors also include Woodruff Sawyer.

About Entrepreneur Of The Year^®
Entrepreneur Of The Year^®, founded and produced by EY, is the world’s most prestigious business awards program for entrepreneurs, chosen from an independent panel of judges including entrepreneurs and prominent leaders from business, finance and the local community. The program makes a difference through the way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global awards program of its kind, Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 145 cities and more than 60 countries. ey.com/eoy

About EY’s Growth Markets Network
EY’s worldwide Growth Markets Network is dedicated to serving the changing needs of high-growth companies. For more than 30 years, we’ve helped many of the world’s most dynamic and ambitious companies grow into market leaders. Whether working with international mid-cap companies or early stage, venture-backed businesses, our professionals draw upon their extensive experience, insight and global resources to help your business succeed. For more information, please visit us at ey.com/sgm or follow us on Twitter @EY_Growth.

About EY
EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young LLP, a member of the global EY organization that provides services to clients in the US.

Sara Nazarian
EY
+ 1 213 240 7557
sara.nazarian@ey.com

Hamilton McCulloh
Green Rubino
+ 1 206 957 4260
HamiltonM@greenrubino.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d81bdab4-c231-4021-a6cb-f1a639d47036