Thoropass CEO Sam Li Named EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2026 New York Finalist — Recognising AI-Powered Cybersecurity Audit Leadership
AI / Cyber Security | 3 min read
Sam Li, CEO and co-founder of Thoropass (New York; the only end-to-end cybersecurity auditor; founded 2019; 1,200+ customers across healthcare, finance, and technology; 200+ employees in over a dozen countries), has been named a finalist for the Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2026 New York Award by Ernst & Young LLP (EY US). Now in its 41st year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year programme has celebrated more than 11,000 ambitious visionaries leading successful, dynamic businesses across the US and has expanded to nearly 80 countries and territories globally. An independent panel of judges selected Sam among 33 finalists representing New York and Connecticut across all industries — based on entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, company growth, and lasting impact in building long-term value.
"Entrepreneur of the Year is one of the most prestigious awards that any business leader can aspire to, and being recognised as a finalist in the world's number one business city is an even greater honour. While I'm incredibly proud to be placed among such illustrious company, none of this success would be possible without the support of my fellow co-founders at Thoropass, Eva and Austin, as well as the entire team here, and our more than 1,000 loyal customers around the world."
— Sam Li, CEO and Co-founder, Thoropass
Thoropass — The Only End-to-End Cybersecurity Auditor
Founded in 2019, Thoropass is the only end-to-end cybersecurity auditor — combining continuous, AI-powered evidence collection with the industry's most advanced suite of AI agents and a highly experienced team of auditors to deliver comprehensive, trusted security audits. Its Audit Lifecycle Platform offers the most flexible and scalable solution for organisations to ensure compliance with more than 30 frameworks — including SOC 2, PCI, and HITRUST — working seamlessly with any GRC platform and systems of record. In January 2026, Thoropass launched Smart Sort AI — an AI-powered feature enabling companies to export data from any GRC tool and transform it into clean, audit-ready evidence. Thoropass Assurance (Laika Compliance LLC) achieved the highest rating of Pass on its second AICPA Peer Review in December 2025, reinforcing its commitment to audit quality. In March 2026, Thoropass released its 2026 State of Audit and Compliance Report — based on a survey of more than 500 security, IT, and compliance professionals — finding that AI adoption has rapidly become the most significant new source of IT security compliance risk, with nearly 7 in 10 security and compliance leaders stating that AI adoption is outpacing their security and compliance controls.
About the Entrepreneur Of The Year Award and What Comes Next
The Entrepreneur Of The Year programme — founded in 1986 and produced by Ernst & Young LLP — honours business leaders for their ingenuity, courage, and entrepreneurial spirit. It celebrates original founders who bootstrapped their business or raised outside capital, transformational CEOs who infused innovation into existing organisations, and multigenerational family business leaders who reimagined legacy models. The US programme consists of 17 regional programmes whose independent panels select regional winners every June. Regional award winners for New York will be announced on 16 June 2026 during a celebration in Manhattan, with winners becoming lifetime members of the Entrepreneur Of The Year alumni community. Winners are then considered by national judges for the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards — presented in November at the Strategic Growth Forum® — where the national overall winner goes on to represent the US at the World Entrepreneur Of The Year® competition. Presenting sponsors include PNC Bank, Cresa LLC, Marsh USA, SAP, and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
Key Takeaways
- • Sam Li (CEO and co-founder, Thoropass; LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/samsli) has been named a finalist for the Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2026 New York Award by EY US (announced 22 April 2026). Selected by an independent panel among 33 finalists representing New York and Connecticut across all industries — based on entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, company growth, and lasting impact in building long-term value.
- • Thoropass: the only end-to-end cybersecurity auditor. Founded 2019 by Sam Li, Eva, and Austin. 1,200+ customers across healthcare, finance, and technology. 200+ employees in 12+ countries worldwide. Audit Lifecycle Platform combines continuous AI-powered evidence collection with the industry's most advanced suite of AI agents and experienced human auditors — delivering comprehensive, trusted security audits. Compliance with 30+ frameworks including SOC 2, PCI, and HITRUST. Works seamlessly with any GRC platform.
- • Recent Thoropass milestones: Smart Sort AI (January 2026) — AI-powered feature enabling any GRC export to be transformed into clean, audit-ready evidence. 2026 State of Audit and Compliance Report (March 2026) — based on 500+ security/IT/compliance professionals; AI adoption identified as the top compliance and audit risk; nearly 7 in 10 security and compliance leaders say AI adoption is outpacing their security and compliance controls. AICPA Peer Review Pass (highest rating) for Thoropass Assurance (December 2025) — second consecutive Pass on the rigorous third-party audit quality evaluation.
- • About the Entrepreneur Of The Year® programme: founded 1986; now in its 41st year; celebrated 11,000+ ambitious visionaries in the US; expanded to nearly 80 countries and territories globally. 17 US regional programmes; independent panels select regional winners every June. New York regional winners announced 16 June 2026 at a Manhattan celebration — winners become lifetime Entrepreneur Of The Year alumni and are considered for national awards at the Strategic Growth Forum® in November. National overall winner represents the US at the World Entrepreneur Of The Year® competition.
- • Strategic significance: Thoropass's recognition comes as AI compliance risk has moved to the top of the enterprise security agenda — the 2026 State of Audit and Compliance Report directly frames AI governance as the defining challenge for security and compliance leaders this year. Sam Li's finalist status in New York — the world's most competitive business city across 33 finalists — validates Thoropass's positioning as the leading end-to-end cybersecurity auditor at the exact moment that AI adoption is creating a new and urgent layer of compliance complexity that organisations need specialist audit support to navigate.