Finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year(R) Award Announced in New EnglandAward Recipients Named at Gala Event on June 15, 2006

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 24, 2006 -Ernst & Young LLP today announced the finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year(R) 2006 Award in the New England. This year's 44 finalists were selected from more than 90 nominations by an independent Finalist Selection Committee composed of area business, academic and civic leaders. Award recipients will be announced at a special 20th anniversary gala event on June 15, 2006 at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel.

"This year's finalists are true visionaries who have contributed to economic growth, innovation, and cutting-edge products and services," said Bryan Pearce, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year award program director for New England. "We proudly celebrate their achievements as we mark the 20th anniversary of this prestigious awards program."

The New England finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2006 Award are:

A123 Systems	David Vieau	CEO
Acusphere, Inc.	Sherri C. Oberg	President/CEO/Founder
Agar Supply Co., Inc.	Karen Bressler	CEO
Alexion Pharmaceuticals,Inc.	Dr. Leonard Bell	CEO
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals	John Maraganore	President/CEO
Aspect Software, Inc.	James D. Foy	President/CEO/Director
Atlas Travel International	Elaine Osgood	President
Authoria, Inc.	Tod Hayes Loofbourrow	Chairman/CEO
Beacon Hospice	Betty Brennan	President/CEO
Broadbus Technologies	Vin Bisceglia	Chairman/CEO
BTU Ventures, Inc.	Wael Al-Mazeedi	Chairman/CEO
CMGI, Inc.	Joseph Lawler	President/CEO
Confluent Surgical, Inc.	Amar Sawhney	CFO
Crossbeam Systems	Peter C. George	President/CEO
Cynosure, Inc.	Michael R. Davin	Chairman/CEO
Datapower Technology, Inc.	Eugene Kuznetsov	Chairman/CEO
Endeca	Steve Papa	Chairman/Founder
EqualLogic, Inc.	Paula Long	Vice President
First Act, Inc.	Bernard Chiu	Chairman
Five Star Quality Care,Inc.	Evrett Benton	President/CEO/Founder
Forrester Research, Inc.	George Colony	Chairman/CEO/Founder
Garber Travel	Roselyn Garber	President/CEO
GeoTrust, Inc.	Neal Creighton	CEO
Glasshouse Technologies,Inc.	Mark Shirman	President/CEO/Founder
Grand Circle Corporation	Alan E. Lewis	Chairman/CEO
Granite City Electric Supply Co., Inc.	Phyllis P. Godwin	Chairman/CEO
GSI Group	Charles Winston	CEO
Hologic, Inc.	Jack W. Cumming	Chairman/CEO/Director
IPG Photonics Corporation	Dr. Valentin P. Gapontsev	CEO
Keurig, Inc.	Nick Lazaris	President/CEO
Konarka Technologies, Inc.	Howard Berke	Chairman/CEO/Founder
m-Qube	Jeffrey F. Glass	CEO
Nantero, Inc.	Greg Schmergel	President/CEO/Founder
OpenPages	Michael J. Duffy	President/CEO
Palomar Medical Technologies, Inc.	Joseph Caruso	President/CEO
Perkins Paper	Larry Perkins	Executive Vice President/COO
Perkins Paper	Gary Perkins	President
Presstek, Inc.	Edward J. Marino	President/CEO
Reveal Imaging Technologies, Inc.	Michael Ellenbogen	CEO
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals	Christoph Westphal	Vice Chairman/CEO
Tufts-New England Medical Center	Ellen M. Zane	President/CEO
Virtusa Corporation	Kris Canekeratne	Chairman/CEO/Founder
Waterford Group, LLC	Len Wolman	Chairman/CEO
Wright Express Group	Michael E. Dubyak	President/CEO
YesDirect, Inc.	Jeffrey Bennett	President/CEO

New England award recipients will be eligible for consideration for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2006 national program. Winners in several national categories, as well as the overall national Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year award winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California on November 18, 2006.

The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards program celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and continues to recognize the leaders and visionaries who are creating and building world-class businesses. Awards are given to entrepreneurs who have demonstrated excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.

Sponsors Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards is nationally sponsored by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. In New England, local sponsors include Herald Media, Inc. J. Robert Scott, MARSH and WilmerHale.

Contact InformationTo make reservations for the awards banquet on June 15, 2006, contact Jillian Ciminera of Ernst & Young at (617) 570-8437 or jillian.ciminera@ey.com by June 1st. Tickets are $175.00 per person. For more information about the awards program, visit www.ey.com/us/eoy.

About the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year AwardsThe Entrepreneur Of The Year(R) awards program was created and is produced by professional services firm Ernst & Young LLP. As the first award of its kind, the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year(R) Award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who are building and leading dynamic and growing businesses. The program honors entrepreneurs through regional, national and global award programs in over 100 cities and 35 countries.

About Ernst & Young

Ernst & Young, a global leader in professional services, is committed to restoring the public's trust in professional services firms and in the quality of financial reporting. Its 107,000 people in 140 countries pursue the highest levels of integrity, quality, and professionalism in providing a range of sophisticated services centered on our core competencies of auditing, accounting, tax, and transactions. Further information about Ernst & Young and its approach to a variety of business issues can be found at www.ey.com/perspectives. Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited does not provide services to clients.

Note to Editors: Media are invited to attend the awards banquet for interview and photo opportunities. Please call Amy Flannery at (617) 859-6476 as soon as possible to request a complimentary reservation. Press credentials must be presented.

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