April 26, 2017

The program recognizes entrepreneurs excelling in areas such as innovation, financial performance and commitment to their businesses and communities. Award winners, selected by a panel of independent judges, will be announced at a June 15 gala at The Ritz-Carlton in Tysons Corner.

The majority of the Virginia-based companies hail from Northern Virginia, and some of them are online firms.

Among leaders from that region is Rami Essaid, cofounder and CEO of Distil Networks, which has its corporate headquarters in Arlington. According to EY, Distil Networks is a global leader in bot detection and mitigation.

Another finalist is Rohyt Belani, cofounder and CEO of PhishMe, based in Leesburg. It provides phishing defense solutions for customers in the defense industrial base, energy, financial services, health-care and manufacturing industries.

In the Richmond area, Louis Rogers, CEO of Capital Square, also made the list. Capital Square is a national real estate investment and management company that sponsors institutional-quality real estate exchange programs that qualify for tax deferral under Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Now in its 31st year, the EY Enterpreneur of the Year has expanded to recognize business leaders in more than 145 cities and more than 60 countries throughout the world.

Regional award winners are eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year national program, which will be announced in November.

Other finalists from Virginia:

Ashish Kachru, cofounder and CEO, Altruista Health, Reston.

Mike Baird, CEO and partner, Avizia, Reston.

Sukumar Iyer, founder, president and CEWO, Brillient Corp., Reston.

Carroll Ross, founder and CEO, Collaborative Solutions, Reston.

Alicia (founder and CEO) and Ryan (president) Davis, Dietitians On Demand, Henrico County.

Dev Ganesan, CEO, Fishbowl, Alexandria.

Amit Puri, president and CEO, Ingenicomm, Chantilly.

Kevin Kelly, CEO, LGS Innovations, Herndon.

Amy Wright, president and CEO, Macro Solutions, Arlington.

Joe Fluet, CEO and chairman, MAG Aerospace, Woodbridge.

Rick Torres, president and CEO, National Student Clearinghouse, Herndon.

George Zoulias, president, Perfecta Federal, Springfield.

Duane Slyder, founder and CEO, Seasonal Roots, Virginia Beach.

Julian Setian, president and CEO, SOS International (SOSi), Reston.

Adam Vincent, CEO, ThreatConnect, Arlington.

Chris Spanos, CEO and cofounder, Urgent.ly, Vienna.