EY announces Jane Zhang of STAR EV Corporation as an Entrepreneur of the Year® 2023 Transformative Leader

August 2, 2023

Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) recently announced that CEO Jane Zhang of STAR EV Corporation was named an Entrepreneur of the Year® 2023 Southeast Transformative Leader awardee. The Entrepreneur of the Year Awards program is one of the preeminent competitive awards for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies. Zhang was selected by an independent judging panel made up of previous award winners, leading CEOs, investors and other regional business leaders. The judges sought to honor Jane as a distinguished, renowned business leader who has an established track record of entrepreneurial success and a personal commitment to her community.

“34 years ago, I arrived in America from China, with just a few hundred dollars in my pocket, I did not know anyone or speak much English. I came to receive a higher education, but most importantly, I came here to pursue my American dream. I am forever grateful to this great country for embracing me. I am also grateful for the beautiful State of South Carolina. It has nurtured me, raised my family, and provided a platform for us to build our business. I am thrilled to be the recipient of this prestigious EOY Award for the work we have accomplished, and I look forward to continuing to serve our community, making the world a better place,” Zhang said.

Star EV is an offroad, low-speed electrical vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina. The company designs and produces well-engineered, high-performance, zero- emission offroad and low-speed electric vehicles that deliver an exceptional driving experience.

For nearly four decades, EY US has honored entrepreneurs whose ambition, courage and ingenuity have driven their companies’ success, transformed their industries and made a positive impact on their communities. Entrepreneur of the Year Award winners become lifetime members of a global, multi-industry community of entrepreneurs, with exclusive, ongoing access to the experience, insight and wisdom of program alumni and other ecosystem members in over 60 countries — all supported by vast EY resources. Since 1986, the Entrepreneur of the Year program has recognized more than 11,000 US executives.

As a Southeast award winner, Jane Zhang is eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur of the Year 2023 National Awards. The National Award winners including the Entrepreneur of the Year National Overall Award winner will 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 World Entrepreneur Of The Year® Award in June 2024.

The Entrepreneur of the Year program has honored the inspirational leadership of entrepreneurs such as:
• Andreas Bechtolsheim and Jayshree Ullal of Arista Networks
• Daymond John of FUBU
• Hamdi Ulukaya of Chobani, Inc.
• Holly Thaggard and Amanda Baldwin of Supergoop!
• Howard Schultz of Starbucks Coffee Company
• James Park of Fitbit
• Jodi Berg of Vitamix
• Joe DeSimone of Carbon, Inc.
• Kendra Scott of Kendra Scott LLC
• Reid Hoffman and Jeff Weiner of LinkedIn Corporation
• Sheila Mikhail of AskBio