Hakan Uluer, CEO of The Bertossi Group of restaurants, has won this year’s EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Award  for the Atlantic Region.

Uluer, who received the award at a gala in Halifax last week, operates a group of high-end restaurants in the Halifax area, including The Bicycle Thief, Ristorante a Mano, La Frasca and il Mercato Trattoria.

“Hakan’s story is a testament to the power of hard work, culinary passion and the ability to create a sense of home within restaurant walls," Gina Kinsman, Entrepreneur Of The Year Atlantic Co-Director, said in a statement. “His leadership has been nothing short of transformative for The Bertossi Group, driving remarkable growth while upholding a dedication to top-quality ingredients and exceptional service, offering diners an unforgettable, authentic experience.”

The list of nominees included several members of the Atlantic startup community, which are differentiated by the role of innovation in their businesses. The finalists included Amir Akbari and Farough Motasemi of Fredericton-based Anessa and Mina Mekhail of Halifax-based Freshr Sustainable Technologies Inc.

Anessa has developed AI-powered solutions for biogas project assessment, optimization, and tracking. By transforming organic and agricultural waste into renewable energy, the company is optimizing the use of resources and helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Earlier this year, Anessa won the Opportunities New Brunswick Innovative Exporter Award.

Freshr, which was founded by biomaterials researcher Mekhail in 2017, makes packaging from sustainable materials that work to prolong the shelf life of fresh fish, with the goal of eventually including other proteins. The company raised $1.7 million in 2022.

Fredericton’s Marcel LeBrun, best known as the CEO of Radian6, which exited for $326 million in 2011, received a special EY Ripples Social Citation for his new registered charity 12 Neighbours. The organization builds tiny homes for homeless people and provides support to help them thrive.