Kwame Kuady, CEO of Gift Card Rescue
To have my hardwork and efforts as an entrepreneur validated with such a prestigious award is a moment I will cherish forever.
Baltimore, MD (PRWEB) June 25, 2014
EY today announced that Kwame Kuadey, Founder and CEO of GiftCardRescue.com, an industry leading gift card exchange service, received the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2014 Award in the Consumer and Technology Service category in Maryland. The award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. Kwame Kuadey was selected by an independent panel of judges, and the award was presented at a special gala event on Thursday, June 12, 2014 at the Hilton Baltimore Hotel.
"This is truly an honor," said Kuadey. " To have my hardwork and efforts as an entrepreneur validated with such a prestigious award is a moment I will cherish forever."
Now in its 28th year, the program has honored the inspirational leadership of such entrepreneurs as Howard Schultz of Starbucks Coffee Company, Pierre Omidyar of eBay, Inc., and Mindy Grossman of HSN. Recent US national winners include Reid Hoffman and Jeff Weiner of LinkedIn; Hamdi Ulukaya, founder of Chobani; and 2013 winner Hamid Moghadam, CEO and Chairman of Prologis.
As a Maryland award winner, Kwame Kuadey is now eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2014 national program. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California, on November 15, 2014. The awards are the culminating event of the EY Strategic Growth Forum®, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies.
About GiftCardRescue.com
Kwame Kuadey founded GiftCardRescue.com in 2008 as a bootstrapped company. The company got its big break on the hit ABC show, Shark Tank. Since appearing on the show, GiftCardRescue.com has gone on to sell more than $30 million in gift cards, making it one of the most succesful businesses to appear on the show. Last year, the company was ranked as the 151st fastest-growing private company in America as part of the Inc. 500.
GiftCardRescue.com sells discounted gift cards to over 450 popular brands at up to 40% off and buys unwanted gift cards from consumers at up to 92% of their face value.
Sponsors
Founded and produced by EY, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are sponsored in the United States by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and SAP America.
In Maryland, regional sponsors include the Baltimore Business Journal, DLA Piper, PNC Bank and SmartCEO. Reception sponsors include BioHealth Innovation, Inc., Cassidy Turley and Randstad Professionals.
Company Boilerplate:
About EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™
EY Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The unique award makes a difference through the way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global award of its kind, Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 145 cities in more than 60 countries.
About EY’s Strategic Growth Markets practice
EY’s Strategic Growth Markets (SGM) practices guide leading high-growth companies. Our multidisciplinary teams of elite professionals provide 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. EY 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 @EY_Growth.
About EY
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