WASHINGTON (TIP): The Arista Networks team of Jayshree Ullal and Andy Bechtolsheim, based out of Santa Clara-California, have been honored by Ernst and Young as the 2015 Entrepreneur of the Year.

Ullal and Bechtolsheim, who also won in the Technology category, were honored at the EY Entrepreneur of the Year National Awards gala, the culminating event of the EY Strategic Growth Forum® in Palm Springs, California.

“To be an entrepreneur is to be a game changer,” said Mike Kacsmar, EY Entrepreneur of the Year Americas Program Director. “Jayshree Ullal, Andy Bechtolsheim and the Arista Networks team embody all of the characteristics we value in entrepreneurship. They have successfully challenged industry norms and redefined the industry standard.”

In their acceptance speech, Arista’s Indian American CEO Jayshree Ullal said, “Arista means ‘agree to be the best.’ … It’s very, very fitting, and we’re truly honored to stand and live by our name.”

Arista Networks delivers software-driven cloud networking solutions for large data centre storage and computing environments.

The EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award, one of the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs, recognizes visionary business leaders who demonstrate innovation, financial success and commitments to their communities as they create and build world-class companies.

EY Entrepreneur of the Year National category winners

Additional awards were presented in 11 categories, honoring a number of exceptional entrepreneurs for their innovation and leadership. Regional winners also included 13 Indian Americans.

By category, they include:

Distribution and Manufacturing

Award winner: Berto Guerra, CEO & Chairman – Avanzar Interior Technologies, LTD
San Antonio, TX
Finalists:

• Andrew Philipp, Jeremy Rincon, Robby Whites – Clarus Glassboards, LLC
• Scott C. Mueller, Dean Mueller – Dealer Tire
• Jason Luo – Key Safety Systems

Emerging

Award winner: David Royce, Founder & CEO – Alterra
Provo, UT
Finalists:

• Ilia Papas, Matt Salzberg, Matthew Wadiak – Blue Apron
• Adam Hepworth – Jamberry
• Jeff Church – Suja Juice

Energy, Cleantech and Natural Resources

Award winner: Eric Dee Long, CEO – USA Compression
Austin, TX
Finalists:

• John B. Walker – EnerVest, Ltd.
• Donald Young – Hoover Group, Inc.
• Kevin McEvoy – Oceaneering International, Inc.

Family Business

Award winner: Andrew D. Peykoff II, President & CEO – Niagara Bottling, LLC
Ontario, CA
Finalists:

• Lou Gentine, Louie Gentine – Sargento Foods Inc.
• Robert M. Beall – Beall’s, Inc.
• Edward Weisiger, Jr. – CTE

Financial Services

Award winner: Alfred P. West, Jr., Chairman & CEO – SEI
Oaks, PA
Finalists:

• Jonathan Steinberg – WisdomTree Investments, Inc.
• Kenneth Lin – Credit Karma
• Noah Breslow – OnDeck

Life Sciences

Award winner: Jean-Jacques Bienaimé, Chairman & CEO – BioMarin Pharmaceutical
Novato, CA
Finalists:

• Charles Dunlop, James Dunlop – Ambry Genetics
• Mike Mussallem – Edwards Lifesciences
• Tim Walbert – Horizon Pharma

Media, Entertainment and Communications

Award winner: Maggie Wilderotter, Chairman & CEO – Frontier Communications
Stamford, CT
Finalists:

• Frank Addante – Rubicon Project
• Chris DeWolfe – SGN
• Sean Eugene Reilly – Lamar Advertising Company

Real Estate, Hospitality and Construction

Award winner: Adam Neumann, Co-Founder & CEO – WeWork
New York, NY
Finalists:

• John Kilroy – Kilroy Realty Corporation
• Zeke Turner – Mainstreet
• James Michael Appling, Jr. – TNT Crane & Rigging, Inc

Retail and Consumer Products

Award winners: Reade Fahs, CEO, and Bruce Steffey, President and COO – National Vision, Inc.
Duluth, GA
Finalists:

• John Foraker – Annie’s, Inc.
• Marla Malcolm Beck – Bluemercury, Inc.
• Jamie Lima, Paulo Lima – IT Cosmetics

Services

Award winner: Y. Michele Kang, Founder & Chief Executive Officer – Cognosante
McLean, VA
Finalists:

• Lawrence Janesky – Basement Systems Inc.
• Abhi Shah – Clutch Group
• Setul G. Patel – Neighbors Health System, Inc.

Technology

Award winners: Jayshree Ullal, President & CEO, and Andy Bechtolsheim, Founder, Chief Development Officer and Chairman – Arista Networks
Santa Clara, CA
Finalists:

• Keith R. Dunleavy, MD – Inovalon
• Keith Krach – DocuSign, Inc.
• Marcus Ryu – Guidewire Software, Inc.