EY Fosters Entrepreneurship at UMass Amherst

The Isenberg-based Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship is the recipient of extraordinary financial support from Ernst & Young (EY) and from Isenberg alumni in its Boston office. Eighty Isenberg alumni at EY are contributing nearly $200,000 to the center. And a one-to-one match by the EY Foundation on their contributions has brought the total to $400,000.

In addition, an in-kind gift from EY has given Isenberg Gold Sponsor status in the firm’s regional EY Entrepreneur of the Year (EY EOY) awards. The awards program honors many of the best and brightest entrepreneurs in New England. Last year, it celebrated 11 winners.*

As a gold sponsor, Isenberg and Berthiaume are gaining exposure through branding rights at the regional award program’s gatherings, on its web site, and through other media. Isenberg, UMass, and Berthiaume, moreover, will gain a voice in the nomination of worthy entrepreneurs. That should give entrepreneurs with UMass and Isenberg affiliations unprecedented exposure in the program.

“Aligning with the Berthiaume Center makes perfect strategic sense for EY, since we view entrepreneurship as a cornerstone of our brand,” notes Jason Janoff ’93 (left), the EY partner who helped mobilize fellow Isenberg alumni and the firm behind the gift to Berthiaume. “We’ve always been focused on the strategic growth market across the firm, and as a result, we are the auditors for many of the best entrepreneurial success stories in the country,” he emphasizes. “In Boston, EY also has the leading market share among our competitors in working with clients through the IPO process. Our relationship with the Berthiaume Center is a natural fit. It’s very much a win-win.”

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*EY’s New England initiative is one of 25 regional EY EOY programs. The firm also celebrates a national program in Palm Springs, California and a global program in Monte Carlo.