Ernst & Young Names Top U.S. Entrepreneurs of 2003

I remember when Whole Foods was just a dinky little co-op down by Lake Austin. I was in school at the University of Texas in 1985-86, and met John Mackey, along with the rest of the staff, on many occasion. I was also living in Austin when they opened their new larger store there, and in Houston when they opened their first store here. So it's pretty cool to see John Mackey, founder of Whole Foods Market, named the 2003 Overall National Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year®.

It's also pretty cool to see a three-time college drop-out build a hugely successful business and garnering mainstream respect while still maintaining the strong counter-culture identity of its origins, including tremendous workplace diversity, a strong commitment to the environment, and support for local charities and employee community service. Congrats, John!

The 17th annual awards banquet also honored ten industry winners, including Chuck Geschke and John Warnock of Adobe Systems, Catherine Hughes and Alfred Liggins III of Radio One, and many other great success stories. If you're looking for some great inspiration across a variety of industries, you'll find it among this crowd.

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® Winners 2003