Ernst & Young Announces Entrepreneur of the Year® 2013 finalists in New York

NEW YORK, May 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Ernst & Young LLP has announced the finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2013 Award in the New York region and the list includes Christopher Kelly and Ryan Simonetti, co-founders and principals of Convene (www.convene.com).

The awards program recognizes high-growth entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. The 36 New York region finalists were selected by a panel of independent judges. Award winners will be announced at a special gala event on June 18 at the Marriott Marquis.

Convene is a developer and operator of specialized full-service conference centers for off-site professional meetings.  The company's Human-Centered Design focus and dedication to contributing to client success have inspired the team to reengineer every aspect of their meeting service and spaces to create the most effective and insightful collaborative experience for every user. Opened in 2009 as Sentry Centers, Convene was founded by entrepreneurs Christopher Kelly and Ryan Simonetti, to create a new category of dedicated conference spaces that enhance the productivity and overall experience of off-site meetings. 

Now in its 27th year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Program has expanded globally to recognize company builders in over 140 cities and in more than 50 countries throughout the world. Regional award winners go on to compete at the national level. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the National Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Overall Award winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California, on November 16, 2013. The awards are the culminating event of the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum®, the nation's most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies.

Sponsors
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are nationally sponsored by SAP America and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. In New York, local sponsors include Marsh Inc., Merrill Corporation, Goodwin Procter LLP, Empire Valuation Consultants, HSBC, Scherzer International, SolomonEdwardsGroup, Cooley, Murray Devine, DLA Piper, WithumSmith+Brown, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, and Marks Paneth & Shron.

About Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur Of The Year^® 
Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world's most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The unique award recognizes the significant contributions of entrepreneurs who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement.

About Ernst & Young LLP's Strategic Growth Markets practice 
Ernst & Young LLP's Strategic Growth Markets (SGM) practice guides leading high-growth companies. Our multidisciplinary team of elite professionals provides perspective and advice to help our clients accelerate market leadership. SGM delivers assurance, tax, transactions and advisory services to thousands of companies spanning all industries. Ernst & Young is the undisputed leader in taking companies public, advising key government agencies on the issues impacting high-growth companies and convening the experts who shape the business climate. For more information, please visit us at ey.com/us/strategicgrowthmarkets, or follow news on Twitter at EY_Growth.

About Ernst & Young 
Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 167,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve their potential.
For more information, please visit ey.com.

Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of 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.

About Convene
Convene (www.convene.com) develops and operates full service conference centers and collaboration space through various lease, joint venture and service arrangements.  Founded in 2009 by two young entrepreneurs, Christopher Kelly and Ryan Simonetti, Convene provides an end to end solution to host off-site meetings and conferences for Fortune 1000 companies and other groups requiring professional, technologically integrated collaborative environments.  Distinct from other suppliers, Convene develops and operates all of its own space and services which, by using a human centered design methodology are aligned to produce a more enjoyable and productive corporate meeting experience.

Contacts:
Henry Feintuch / Rick Anderson
Feintuch Communications
212-808-4901 / 718-986-1596
[email protected]

SOURCE Convene

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