We know that entrepreneurs play a vital role in transforming people’s lives by disrupting entire industries and reinventing economies. During the pandemic, many of these business leaders faced global challenges head-on and charted a new path toward the future.
The grocery business is one industry that has experienced incredible growth and transformation. That’s why we couldn’t be more thrilled to announce that GrocerKey CEO Jeremy Neren has been recognized as a finalist for the Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2021 Midwest Award.
The Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2021 Midwest award recognizes those entrepreneurial leaders who are excelling in overcoming adversity, financial performance, societal impact and commitment to building a value-based company, innovation, and talent management.
Neren was selected following a review by a panel of independent judges.
In 2020, the pandemic accelerated the adoption of online grocery shopping and GrocerKey experienced a surge in demand for its platform as retailers sought to quickly enhance their digital capabilities. The change resulted in an 85% increase in Q2 sales when compared to the previous year.
Earlier this year, GrocerKey also announced the closing of a $2.4 million equity round, bringing total funding to more than $9 million, allowing the company to continue leveraging its innovation and growth.
“Like so many companies, the year 2020 presented extraordinary challenges for GrocerKey and our retail customers regionwide,” Neren said. “To be able to come together as a team, embrace the disruption, and lead our company through growth is something every entrepreneur dreams about. I am incredibly honored to be named a finalist for Entrepreneur Of The Year and to be recognized alongside so many inspiring business leaders by a program with this legacy.”
As the world’s most prestigious award for entrepreneurs, Entrepreneur of the Year has been at the forefront of identifying game-changing business leaders for 35 years.
The program has honored the inspirational leadership of such entrepreneurs as Howard Schultz of the Starbucks Corporation; Reid Hoffman and Jeff Weiner of LinkedIn Corporation; and Kendra Scott of Kendra Scott LLC.
Regional award winners are eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards, to be announced in November 2021 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 2022.
We’re honored to have Jeremy Neren recognized among so many other unstoppable business leaders in the Midwest. Learn more about the Entrepreneur Of The Year Midwest program and follow us along on our journey to the virtual awards event where the winners will be announced.
