EY Announces Stacey Hess of Sign Gypsies as an Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2021 Southwest Award Finalist

Stacey Hess was selected by a panel of independent judges. Award winners will be announced during a special virtual celebration on August 4, 2021 and will become lifetime members of an esteemed community of Entrepreneur Of The Year alumni from around the world.

“I am honored to receive this recognition from Ernst & Young. I started Sign Gypsies in 2014 when I saw an opportunity to spread a little joy and bring my community together. I am a creative person and a problem solver,” said Stacey Hess.

“In just two short years, Sign Gypsies had grown to more than 70 franchisees. Seven years in, we have over 800 locations internationally and we have a waiting list for more. We are the largest Yard Greeting Franchise in the country with locations in 47 states.

I am so proud of what we have built in such a short time. We just opened our 825th location and hold a 92% retention rate.”

Entrepreneur Of The Year is one of the preeminent competitive award programs for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies. The nominees are evaluated based on six criteria: entrepreneurial leadership; talent management; degree of difficulty; financial performance; societal impact and building a values-based company; and originality, innovation and future plans. Since its launch, the program has expanded to recognize business leaders in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries around the world.

Regional award winners are eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards, to 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 2022.

In the Southwest Region, sponsors also include Colliers International, Haynes and Boone LLP, PNC, Donnelley Financial Solutions, RHSB, Smith Frank & Partners and D CEO Magazine.