EY Announces Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez of Back to the Roots as Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2021 Northern California Award Finalists

Celebrating the 35th Class of Unstoppable Entrepreneurs Who Transform the Northern California Region and Beyond

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Jun 15, 2021, 10:35 ET

LOS ANGELES, June 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) today announced that Back to the Roots Co-Founder's Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez were named Entrepreneur Of The Year^® 2021 Northern California Region Award finalists. Now in its 35th year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year program honors "unstoppable business leaders whose ambition, ingenuity and courage in the face of adversity help catapult us from the now to next and beyond."

Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez were selected by a panel of independent judges and past award winners. 2021 Award winners will be announced during a special virtual celebration on August 4 and will become lifetime members of an esteemed community of Entrepreneur Of The Year alumni from around the world.

Entrepreneur Of The Year is one of the preeminent competitive award programs for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies. The nominees are evaluated based on six criteria: entrepreneurial leadership; talent management; degree of difficulty; financial performance; societal impact and building a values-based company; and originality, innovation and future plans. Since its launch, the program has expanded to recognize business leaders in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries around the world.

"We are incredibly honored to be finalists in the EY Entrepreneur of the Year competition— it's a huge testament to the hard work and creativity of our team, and the passionate community of Back to the Roots gardeners that inspire us each day.," says Arora & Velez. "We love the opportunity & challenge to take the large, legacy $48B garden category and make it relevant to a new generation of millennial families by focusing on sustainability, kids, OMNI-shopping solutions, and just fun product experiences that put a smile on someone's face."

Sponsors
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are nationally sponsored by SAP America. In the Northern California Region, sponsors also include SolomonEdwards and Woodruff Sawyer.

About Back to the Roots
Founded in 2009 by Alejandro Velez & Nikhil Arora, Back to the Roots is an organic gardening company based in Oakland, CA. Named to Fast Company's Annual List of the World's Most Innovative Companies in 2019 & World Changing Ideas in 2021, Back to the Roots is on a mission to inspire a new generation of gardeners & reconnect families back to where their food comes from through its award-winning line of indoor gardening kits, peat-free potting mixes, raised beds and 100% US grown seeds. The company's products are distributed in over 10,000 national retail locations including Walmart, The Home Depot, Target, Lowe's, Cost Plus World Market, Whole Foods Market, Costco, and more. For more information, please visit: www.BacktotheRoots.com

About Entrepreneur Of The Year^®Entrepreneur Of The Year^® is the world's most prestigious business awards program for unstoppable entrepreneurs. These visionary leaders deliver innovation, growth and prosperity that transform our world. The program engages entrepreneurs with insights and experiences that foster growth. It connects them with their peers to strengthen entrepreneurship around the world. Entrepreneur Of The Year is the first and only truly global awards program of its kind. It celebrates entrepreneurs through regional and national awards programs in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries. National Overall winners go on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ title. ey.com/us/eoy

Media Contact
Elana Rose
The Rose Group
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SOURCE Back to the Roots