EY Announces Manu Smadja of MPOWER Financing as an Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2024 Mid-Atlantic Award Finalist

The award, which celebrates ambitious entrepreneurs who are shaping the future, recognizes MPOWER Financing’s role in promoting access to education for talented students worldwide

WASHINGTON, April 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) announced this week that Emmanuel (Manu) Smadja, CEO and co-founder of MPOWER Financing, was named an Entrepreneur Of The Year^® 2024 Mid-Atlantic Award finalist.

This award is a recognition of the impact the whole team at MPOWER is having by democratizing access to education.

Entrepreneur Of The Year is the preeminent competitive business award for leaders who disrupt markets, revolutionize sectors and have a transformational impact on lives. Smadja was one of 30 regional entrepreneurs selected as a finalist based on his demonstration of building long-term value through entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth and impact, among other core contributions and attributes.

“It’s an honor to be recognized alongside 29 other visionary finalists for Entrepreneur of the Year,” said Smadja. “Since founding MPOWER Financing 10 years ago, our team has worked tirelessly to create a world where access to education is borderless. I think of this award as a recognition of the impact the whole team at MPOWER is having by democratizing access to education.”

MPOWER Financing is a Washington, D.C.-based, mission-driven fintech firm and the leading provider of non-cosigned loans to promising students from around the world. To date, MPOWER has provided over 15,000 loans to students from 163 countries pursuing higher education across the United States and Canada. In addition to providing global education loans, the firm provides career guidance and immigration support to prepare students for success after graduation.

“Our graduates are citizens of the world,” said Smadja. “They are founding companies, running for office and making scientific discoveries. We’re inspired by their stories and are honored that they chose us as their partner on their educational journey – 93% of our students say that a loan with MPOWER was imperative for their ability to complete their education. We’re helping these students – many of whom are first-generation college students from the Global South – improve their lives and the lives of their families.”

Entrepreneur Of The Year is founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, and honors business leaders for their ingenuity, courage and entrepreneurial spirit. Over the past four decades, the program has recognized entrepreneurs with big ideas and bold actions that reshape our world. The Mid-Atlantic program celebrates entrepreneurs from Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Regional award winners will be announced on June 20.

About MPOWER Financing
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., and with employees worldwide, MPOWER Financing is a mission-driven fintech company and the leading provider of global education loans. Its proprietary algorithm analyzes overseas and domestic credit data as well as future earning potential to serve promising international students. MPOWER works with over 400 top universities across the U.S. and Canada to provide financing to students from over 200 countries. The MPOWER team primarily consists of former international students and provides students with career guidance and immigration support to prepare them for their professional careers after graduation.

MPOWER is a Certified B-Corp and has been named a Great Place To Work, one of the best fintechs to work for and the best tech workplace for diversity. The company is hiring for various positions worldwide.

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 U.S., 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 overall National winner represents the U.S. at the World Entrepreneur Of The Year^® competition. Visit ey.com/us/eoy.

About EY
EY exists to build a better working world, helping to create long-term value for clients, people and society and build trust in the capital markets.Enabled by data and technology, diverse EY teams in over 150 countries provide trust through assurance and help clients grow, transform and operate.

Working across assurance, consulting, law, strategy, tax and transactions, EY teams ask better questions to find new answers for the complex issues facing our world today. 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 U.K. 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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SOURCE MPOWER Financing