Vote Now for Your Pick for Entrepreneur of 2013

Get to know the five finalists for Entrepreneur's annual contest and help us choose this year's winner.

learn more about Kathleen Davis

By Kathleen Davis

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

After an exhaustive months-long search and numerous applicants, we've announced the finalists for the Entrepreneur of 2013 contest. The finalists in each of the three categories -- "Established", "Emerging" and "College" -- have been selected for their impact on their industries, communities and employees.

The winners of each category will be profiled in the January issue of the magazine and honored at the 2014 Growth Conference in New Orleans.

Let's get to know the five finalists for Entrepreneur of 2013 in the "Established" category:

Vote Now for Your Pick for Entrepreneur of 2013

David Lekach, founder of Dream Products
Lekach says he founded Dream Products which makes Dream Water, a natural sleep aid, to help people lead better lives and offer a natural alternative to the prescription and chemical sleep aids that Americans currently take. Over the past two years, Dream Water has donated more than $100,000 in products to the U.S. military and has helped veterans find employment. "Our company culture at Dream Water is to give back to our community and help others lead balanced, healthy lives," says Lekach.
Read more of David Lekach's story, watch his entry video and vote for him here

Vote Now for Your Pick for Entrepreneur of 2013

Jonathan Jackson, founder of Dimagi
Dimagi is a technology company that helps organizations deliver health care to urban and rural communities around the world by designing health-information systems and mobile technologies. Jackson has grown the company in the past decade to include 6,000 mobile users from more than 80 active projects across 31 countries with over 60 world-wide employees. A social enterprise, the company has three internal bottom lines, Jackson says, "impact, team satisfaction, and profit [in that order]."
Read more of Jonathan Jackson's story, watch his entry video and vote for him here

Vote Now for Your Pick for Entrepreneur of 2013

Brad Damphousse, founder of GoFundMe
Crowdfunding for businesses has gone mainstream, but Damphousse founded GoFundMe in 2008 as a crowdfunding site for personal causes. Helping individuals ask their family and friends for financial support, GoFundMe's personal fundraising campaigns have raised over $95 million from more than 1.4 million donors. "We're most proud of how GoFundMe has helped those affected by national tragedies such as the Colorado theater shooting, Hurricane Sandy, the Boston marathon bombings, and the Oklahoma City tornadoes," says Damphousse. GoFundMe also provides a monthly allowance of $1,000-per-employee to donate to the campaign of their choice.
Read more of Brad Damphousse's story, watch his entry video and vote for him here

Related: A Plucky Startup Ditches 'Coin Piggy' Roots and Finds Its Missio

Vote Now for Your Pick for Entrepreneur of 2013

Ahmed Khattak, founder of GSM Nation
When Khattak arrived in the U.S. as a college student, he was frustrated that he couldn't call home without signing a two-year mobile-phone contract. His company, GSM Nation, was born of that frustration. GSM is a wireless company that allows mobile customers to move away from restrictive and expensive contracts by providing unlocked, contract-free smartphones. He is also a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's National Advocacy Council of Young Entrepreneurs, which represents the voice of young entrepreneurs to congressional leaders.
Read more of Ahmed Khattak's story, watch his entry video and vote for him here.

Related: Young Entrepreneur Challenges the Way Americans Think About Their Cellphones

Vote Now for Your Pick for Entrepreneur of 2013

Patrick O'Neill, founder of Olloclip
Olloclip's mission is to create innovative tools for mobile-phone photography. Its flagship product is the olloclip three-in-one lens system is a fisheye, wide-angle and macro that connects to an iPhone. Since its founding in 2009, ollocip has gained several high-profile fans including professional athletes, celebrities and industry luminaries like Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, and Kevin Systrom, CEO of Instagram. Olloclip manufactures its products in Huntington Beach, Calif., and donates to local schools photography departments.
Read more of Patrick O'Neill's story, watch his entry video and vote for him here.

Kathleen Davis

Kathleen Davis is the former associate editor at Entrepreneur.com.

Related Topics

Editor's Pick

This 61-Year-Old Grandma Who Made $35,000 in the Medical Field Now Earns 7 Figures in Retirement
A 'Quiet Promotion' Will Cost You a Lot — Use This Expert's 4-Step Strategy to Avoid It
3 Red Flags on Your LinkedIn Profile That Scare Clients Away
'Everyone Is Freaking Out.' What's Going On With Silicon Valley Bank? Federal Government Takes Control.
Leadership

How to Detect a Liar in Seconds Using Nonverbal Communication

There are many ways to understand if someone is not honest with you. The following signs do not even require words and are all nonverbal queues.

Business News

A Retired Teacher and Her Daughter Were Scammed Out of $200,000 Over Email: 'I'm 69 Years Old and Now I'm Broke and Homeless'

The mother-daughter duo was in the process of buying a townhouse when their email chain with the title company was hacked.

Business News

Twitter's PR Department Is Now Automatically Replying With a Poop Emoji

Musk's ongoing battle against the media seems to have taken a rather undignified turn.

Leadership

Your Workplace Habits Need a Good Spring Cleaning, Too. Here Are 5 Steps to Get Started.

When was the last time you did a good spring cleaning on some of your unhelpful repetitive behaviors at work?

Leadership

How Great Entrepreneurs Find Ways to Win During Economic Downturns

Recessions are an opportunity to recalibrate and make great strides in your business while others are unprepared to brave the challenges. Here's how great entrepreneurs can set themselves up for success despite economic uncertainty.