SAN DIEGO, CALIF., September 9, 2020 – Ernst & Young named Sayed Ali, President and CEO of Interpreters Unlimited (IU), as a semifinalist for the 2020 Entrepreneur of the Year Pacific Southwest – San Diego Award. This is the fourth consecutive year that Sayed has been named to this prestigious list.
In its 34th year, the program now honors leaders in business worldwide, spanning over 125 cities in more than 60 countries. As Ernst & Young put it, they recognize the endeavors of exceptional men and women who create the products and services that keep our worldwide economy moving forward. That line seems more significant now than ever as business leaders adjust, pivot and navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Through the years, other recognition bestowed upon Sayed and IU have included awards like Inc 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies and the Small Business Administration (SBA) Minority Owned Business of the Year. Sayed was also named the SBA Small Business Person of the Year in 2019. Additionally, IU is continuously acknowledged by Nimdzi and Common Sense Advisory (CSA). This year IU made the Nimdzi Top 100 Largest Language Service Providers in The World list again, ranking in the Top 25 in the US, and the CSA Top 100 Language Service Providers list, ranking 15th in the US.
Now Sayed has his eyes on the Entrepreneur of the Year finalist position, which he has attained twice before, once in 2003 with his previous company, and again last year with IU. One big difference this year is the process, it has been unlike any before. Due to COVID-19, all of the interviews throughout the judging process have been done via video rather than in person, which has made this year’s journey to finalist new and unique. Semifinalists have one final round of interviews on September 10th and those chosen as finalists will be notified on September 11th. Winners will be announced at the virtual gala on October 6th.
Sayed commented, “I am thrilled to be named Entrepreneur of the Year semifinalist for the fourth year in a row. It is very meaningful in 2020, a year that marks the 50th Anniversary of IU, and a year that brought the world the COVID-19 pandemic, challenging all business leaders to rise to the occasion.”
About Interpreters Unlimited, Inc.
The IU Group of companies include: Interpreters Unlimited, Accessible Communication for the Deaf, Albors & Alnet, Arkansas Spanish Interpreters and Translators, and IU GlobeLink, LLC, and are headquartered in San Diego, California as a minority-owned company. IU Group is committed to providing equal opportunity in the work environment with its diverse team to aid in supplying linguistic and cultural translation services to clients. A combined 70 years in the industry has demonstrated a surplus of leadership and best practices, which has helped establish its respected role in the language services community. Its services include spoken translation, document translation and non-emergency medical transportation.