Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) announced that Jeff Liegel of S&L Companies was named an Entrepreneur Of The Year 2025 Midwest Award winner. Entrepreneur Of The Year is the preeminent competitive awards program for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies. For 40 years, EY US has celebrated ambitious entrepreneurs who are transforming industries, impacting communities and creating long-term value.
Jeff was chosen by an independent panel of past winners, top CEOs and business leaders. Judges assessed candidates on long-term value creation, entrepreneurial spirit, purpose-driven commitment and significant growth and impact.
“I’m honored to be selected as one of ten leaders across the region to receive the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2025 Midwest Award.
At S&L Companies, our growth has always been rooted in a deep belief in mentorship. We’ve focused on growing people alongside the business, and that commitment has shaped who we are from day one. I’ve been lucky to learn from some great people over the years, and that cycle of support continues to be one of the most rewarding parts of what we do.
I’m grateful for our team, our partners, and everyone who’s been part of this journey. Your support has made this recognition possible.
I’m proud to represent S&L at the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards celebration, the culminating event at the Strategic Growth Forum® US, taking place November 12–15, 2025, in Palm Springs, California.”
As a Midwest award winner, Jeff is now eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2025 National Awards. The National Award winners, including the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner, will be announced in November at the Strategic Growth Forum®, one of the nation’s most prestigious gatherings of high-growth, market-leading companies. The Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner will then move on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Award in June 2026.
Entrepreneur Of The Year recognizes many different types of business leaders for their ingenuity, courage and entrepreneurial spirit. The program 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 Entrepreneur Of The Year program has recognized the leadership of entrepreneurs such as:
- Sheila Mikhail of AskBio
- James Park of Fitbit
- Arthur Blank of The Home Depot
- Kendra Scott of Kendra Scott LLC
- Herb Kohler, Jr. of Kohler Company
- Reed Hoffman and Jeff Weiner
of LinkedIn - Dhruv Saxena of ShipBob
- Louie Gentine of Sargento
- Sam Johnson of S.C. Johnson & Sons, Inc.
- Howard Schultz of Starbucks Coffee
- Company
- Jodi Berg of Vitamix
- Michael Happe of Winnebago
- Industries
- Eric Yuan of Zoom
Sponsors
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards include presenting sponsors PNC Bank, Cresa, LLC, Marsh USA, and SAP. In the Midwest, sponsors also include LaSalle Staffing, Inc. and Becker Professional Education.
About Entrepreneur Of The Year
Founded in 1986, Entrepreneur Of The Year has celebrated more than 11,000 ambitious visionaries who are leading successful, dynamic businesses in the US, and it has since expanded to nearly 60 countries globally.
The US program consists of 17 regional programs whose panels of independent judges select the regional award winners every June. Those winners compete for national recognition at the Strategic Growth Forum® in November where National finalists and award winners are announced. The overall National winner represents the US at the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ competition. Visit ey.com/us/eoy.
About EY
EY is building a better working world by creating new value for clients, people, society and the planet, while building trust in capital markets.
Enabled by data, AI and advanced technology, EY teams help clients shape the future with confidence and develop answers for the most pressing issues of today and tomorrow.
EY teams work across a full spectrum of services in assurance, consulting, tax, strategy and transactions. Fueled by sector insights, a globally connected, multi-disciplinary network and diverse ecosystem partners, EY teams can provide services in more than 150 countries and territories.
All in to shape the future with confidence.
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. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation are available via ey.com/privacy. EY member firms do not practice law where prohibited by local laws. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.