Little Leaf Farms’ Paul Sellew Named Entrepreneur of the Year

Posted by Brian Sparks|June 28, 2023

Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) recently named Paul Sellew, Founder and CEO of Little Leaf Farms, an Entrepreneur Of The Year 2023 New England Award winner. The Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards program is one of the preeminent competitive awards for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies. Sellew was selected by an independent judging panel made up of previous award winners, leading CEOs, investors, and other regional business leaders. The candidates were evaluated based on their demonstration of building long-term value through entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth, and impact, among other core contributions and attributes.

“It’s truly an honor to be named the EY New England Entrepreneur of the Year and I’m extremely proud of our company’s achievements,” Sellew says. “This could not have been possible without the entire team at Little Leaf Farms – all of our success comes from the dedication and passion every team member puts in day after day to move our mission forward, and I’m grateful to share this recognition with them.”

Sellew founded Little Leaf Farms in 2015 with the mission to transform the way food is grown. Today, the brand produces packaged lettuce that is sustainably grown through controlled environment agriculture (CEA) and delivers local, crisp, fresh, long-lasting and sustainably grown leafy greens from its state-of-the-art greenhouses to grocery shelves within 24 hours of harvesting. Little Leaf Farms operates greenhouses in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, with plans for additional expansion in Pennsylvania, and recently announced its projection to break $100 million in retail sales by the end of 2023. Little Leaf Farms is available at major retailers throughout the Northeast into the Southeast, with additional growth to come throughout the Midwest.

For nearly four decades, EY US has honored entrepreneurs whose ambition, courage, and ingenuity have driven their companies’ success, transformed their industries, and made a positive impact on their communities. Entrepreneur Of The Year Award winners become lifetime members of a global, multi-industry community of entrepreneurs, with exclusive, ongoing access to the experience, insight, and wisdom of program alumni and other ecosystem members in more than 60 countries — all supported by vast EY resources. Since 1986, the Entrepreneur Of The Year program has recognized more than 11,000 U.S. executives.

As a New England award winner, Sellew is now eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2023 National Awards. The National Award winners including the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner will be announced in November at the Strategic Growth Forum, one of the nation’s most prestigious gatherings of high-growth, market-leading companies. The Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner will then move on to compete for the World Entrepreneur Of The Year Award in June 2024.