Sam Li, CEO and co-founder of Thoropass, has been named a finalist for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2026 New York Award by Ernst & Young LLP (EY US). Now in its 41st year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year program celebrates the bold leaders who disrupt markets through the world’s most ground-breaking companies, revolutionizing industries and uplifting communities. The program honors entrepreneurs whose innovations drive economic growth and help shape the future of business.
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Sam Li, CEO and Co-founder of Thoropass
An independent panel of judges selected Sam among 33 finalists based on their entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, company growth and lasting impact in building long-term value.
“Entrepreneur of the Year is one of the most prestigious awards that any business leader can aspire to, and being recognized as a finalist in the world’s number one business city is an even greater honor,” said Sam Li, CEO and co-founder at Thoropass. “While I’m incredibly proud to be placed among such illustrious company, none of this success would be possible without the support of my fellow co-founders at Thoropass, Eva and Austin, as well as the entire team here, and our more than 1,000 loyal customers around the world.”
Founded in 2019, Thoropass is the only end-to-end cybersecurity auditor. The company serves more than 1,200 customers across industries including healthcare, finance and technology, and has grown to more than 200 employees in over a dozen countries worldwide.
Entrepreneur Of The Year honors business leaders for their ingenuity, courage and entrepreneurial spirit. The program celebrates original founders who bootstrapped their business from inception or who raised outside capital to grow their company, transformational CEOs who infused innovation into an existing organization to catapult its trajectory, and multigenerational family business leaders who reimagined a legacy business model to strengthen it for the future.
This year’s New York finalists represent New York and Connecticut across all industries, including technology, consumer products, manufacturing, finance, life sciences and more.
Regional award winners will be announced on June 16 during a special celebration in Manhattan and will become lifetime members of an esteemed community of Entrepreneur Of The Year alumni from around the world. The winners will then be considered by the national judges for the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards, which will be presented in November at the annual Strategic Growth Forum®, where high-growth CEOs, Fortune 1000 executives and investors converge to shape the future of business.
About Thoropass
Thoropass is the only end-to-end cybersecurity auditor. Our Audit Lifecycle Platform combines continuous, AI-powered evidence collection with the industry’s most advanced suite of AI agents and a highly experienced team of auditors to deliver comprehensive, trusted security audits.
Thoropass offers the most flexible and scalable solution for organizations to ensure compliance with more than 30 frameworks, including SOC 2, PCI, and HITRUST. The Thoropass Audit Lifecycle Platform works seamlessly with any GRC platform and systems of record, ensuring organizations have absolute confidence in their audit–regardless of which software they use across the organization.
To learn more about doing your cybersecurity audits the Oro way, visit us at thoropass.com.
Sponsors
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards include presenting sponsors PNC Bank, Cresa, LLC, Marsh USA, SAP, and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. In New York, sponsors also include regional Platinum sponsor Donnelley Financial Solutions (DFIN), regional Gold sponsors ADP and DLA Piper, and regional Silver sponsor Stagedge.
About Entrepreneur Of The Year®
Founded in 1986, Entrepreneur Of The Year® has celebrated more than 11,000 ambitious visionaries who are leading successful, dynamic businesses in the US, and it has since expanded to nearly 80 countries and territories globally.
The US program consists of 17 regional programs whose panels of independent judges select the regional award winners every June. Those winners compete for national recognition at the Strategic Growth Forum® in November where national finalists and award winners are announced. The national overall winner represents the US at the World Entrepreneur Of The Year® competition. Visit ey.com/us/eoy.
About EY
EY is building a better working world by creating new value for clients, people, society and the planet, while building trust in capital markets.
Enabled by data, AI and advanced technology, EY teams help clients shape the future with confidence and develop answers for the most pressing issues of today and tomorrow.
EY teams work across a full spectrum of services in assurance, consulting, tax, strategy and transactions. Fueled by sector insights, a globally connected, multi-disciplinary network and diverse ecosystem partners, EY teams can provide services in more than 150 countries and territories.
All in to shape the future with confidence.
EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation are available via ey.com/privacy. EY member firms do not practice law where prohibited by local laws. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.
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