NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., May 2, 2025 -- Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) announced the finalists for the prestigious Entrepreneur Of The Year 2025 Pacific Southwest Award. Now in its 40th 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 making a profound impact on communities. The program honors bold entrepreneurs whose innovations shape the future and pave the way for a thriving economy and a hopeful tomorrow.
An independent panel of judges selected Lance Watkins for his entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth and lasting impact in building long-term value.
"Being named an Entrepreneur Of The Year finalist is a deeply meaningful honor. My journey in self-storage began over 25 years ago, sparked by mentorship and driven by a relentless pursuit of finding more innovative ways to operate. From pioneering the use of underutilized land like utility easements to being the first operator to embrace the potential of the internet for reaching tenants, innovation has always been at the heart of what I do. That drive led me to pioneer e-commerce capabilities for the storage industry through Storage Outlet, transform auctions with StorageTreasures, launch the first full-service co-op through Storelocal, and ultimately, focus on shaping the future of self-storage software with Tenant Inc., the first operator-focused VSaaS platform. Throughout, my focus has always remained clear: applying innovation to solve the real-world challenges that storage operators like myself face every day. For me, this recognition validates that career-long pursuit, but the real credit for the growth and impact goes to the incredible teams across Storage Outlet, StorageTreasures, Storelocal, Charity Storage, and Tenant Inc. While we're always focused on what's next, I'll certainly pause for a moment to reflect on this acknowledgment and how far we've come together."
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.
Regional award winners will be announced on June 6th during a special celebration in San Diego 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®, one of the nation's most prestigious gatherings of high-growth, market-leading companies.
Sponsors
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards include presenting sponsors PNC Bank, Cresa, LLC, Marsh McLennan Agency and SAP. In the Pacific Southwest, sponsors also include Platinum sponsor: Vaco; Gold sponsors: Cooley (San Diego market) and Stradling (Orange County market) and Silver sponsors: ADP and Big Picture.
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 60 countries 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 US at the EY 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.
About Tenant Inc.
Tenant, Inc. empowers self-storage operators with an all-in-one SaaS platform designed to streamline operations and maximize revenue. Their comprehensive cloud-based suite of tools includes property management software, self-storage websites, digital marketing services, and more—giving storage owners and operators everything they need to compete and thrive in today's competitive self-storage market.
For more information, please visit tenantinc.com.
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