The last year has been highly challenging for entrepreneurs around the world and even up to now. Due to the imposed lockdowns, physical contact constraints, and other COVID-19 restrictions, businesses have ceased operations while others opted to stick to the new normal.
Today conversations, conferences, meetings, and learning have been done virtually. Countless virtual meetings and employees working remotely are now the new normal. The months of 2020 and unfortunately, the remaining months of 2021 will still be a challenge for big and small entrepreneurs.
But the odds did not stop the New Jersey entrepreneurs to come out stronger from these adversities. The pandemic not only made them resilient but made them rethink, rebrand, and re-emerge.
In New Jersey, the business community has recognized and awarded industry leaders with skills and records that reflect the ideals of the community. With so many great and successful entrepreneurs, there are only a few who are truly remarkable, inspiring, and fuel growth with no limitation.
The EY Awards 2021 is yet to be announced. Last March 1 to April 16 was the allotted time for nominations and last June 01, 2021, was the announcement of finalists. The virtual awards celebration will be held on July 26, 2021.
But last year, 2020, the same award giving body recognized some of these individuals who never ceased to innovate and contribute to the prosperity and growth of New Jersey and the world. Let’s take a look at some these exceptional New Jersey entrepreneurs and the potential front runners for the 2021.
Matt Skidmore
Chief Executive Officer at CS Energy, Matt Skidmore is a Civil Engineering graduate at Bucknell University. He has been with CS Energy since 2010 and has been providing commendable leadership to increase the company’s sales and productivity.
Mr. Skidmore handles strategic direction and planning for the public, private, and federal sectors across the United States. He has also a proven record in recruiting top talents with wide experience in management.
His ability to nurture strategic relationships and management skills made CS Energy a nationally recognized solar engineering firm.
Gregory Grishayev
Gregory Grishayev is an New Jersey resident, American businessman, Entrepreneur, the co-founder, and chief operating officer of Purpyle, an eyewear company. He has had over 12 years of experience in sales and product development. Previously, he served as a chief operating officer of Eonsmoke, where he spent ten years focused on alternatives to combustible cigarettes and generating revenues of over 100 million dollars.
Despite the numerous downfalls of having to close his vaping company in early 2020 due to regulations and the recent pandemic, Grishayev moved forward and put up Purpyle, a business that sells polarized sunglasses, handmade specs made with bamboo and wood temples.
Today, Puryple is starting to make a name due to its reasonably priced specs and high quality eyewear. Mr. Grishayev is certainly an entrepreneur to watch out for in the coming years as he’s very driven and his recent business closure did not discourage him.
Guanghui Hu
He is the President and CEO of Admera Health, a leading medicine company based in South Plainfield, New Jersey, providing diagnostic testing, solutions, and biopharmaceutical research services.
Guanghui Hu is an experienced businessman with extensive exposure in drug development and management in the pharmaceutical industry like GSK and Merck.
He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Tsinghua University, holds a Master of Science degree from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, had his Ph.D. from Baylor College of Medicine, and completed his postdoctoral research at the University of California Los Angeles.
Guanghui Hu is also currently the Founder and Managing Partner at Westfield BioVentures and a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Martin Adams and Robert Barnacle
The founders of Anova are among the top winners of the Entrepreneur of the Year 2020. Mr. Adams and Mr. Barnacle as New Jersey winners are eligible for the National Awards 2020 category.
Both founders are experienced leaders, inventors, investors, and IT technologies who are skilled in crisis management, digital transformation, supply chain logistics, global markets, and disruptive technologies.
Robert Barnacle and Martin Adams have brought Anova to greater heights since it was founded in 1989 and have both oversee overall operations.
Anova has been in operation for over 30 years providing action technologies software and wireless monitoring hardware serving 70+ countries.
Scott Paladini
Scott Paladini, the founder of Bear Mattress is one of the winners of EY 2020 New Jersey.
Mr. Paladini has over 13 years of corporate strategy experience, sales, and business development. He has not only invested his skills and experience in Bear Mattress but also in Synced, a corporate health and wellness technology platform.
Even before Bed Mattress, Scott Paladini’s family has been in the mattress business and had his own boutique retail mattress store where he learned the foundations of being a remarkable entrepreneur. With a high level of customer service and the important elements of entrepreneurship, Scott Paladini built Bear Mattress.
Scott earned his B.A in Economics from Colby College and took his M.B.A from the University of Florida. Before becoming an entrepreneur, he was once a financial enterprise software sales manager for private equity funds and into private equity strategy and investing.
Other EY New Jersey 2020 top awardees include:
- Calvin Quallis
- Gina Perinni
- Monique and Ellias Zauner
- William Cyr
- Scott Morris
- Cathal Walsh
- Bryan Jakovcic
- John Tramutolo
- Stephen Gebhardt
- Anthony TT Rinaldi
- Fa Park
Nominees of this prestigious award were judged based on financial performance, innovation, talent management, overcoming adversities, impact on society, and commitment to building a values-based company.
