Johnny Lieberman of Harbor IT named Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2026 New York finalist by EY US
NEW YORK, April 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnny Lieberman, founder and CEO of Harbor IT, 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 program celebrates the bold leaders who disrupt markets through the world's most ground-breaking companies, revolutionizing industries and uplifting communities. The program honors entrepreneurs whose innovations drive economic growth and help shape the future of business.
An independent panel of judges selected Johnny among 33 finalists based on their entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, company growth and lasting impact in building long-term value.
"We set out to build Harbor differently than everyone else building at our scale - one fully integrated company, with real specialization and technical depth that most MSPs weren't willing to build. Cyber-first, focused on the customers that are hardest to serve: multi-site healthcare providers who can't afford a clinical system going down; manufacturers dealing with OT and CMMC; PE-backed companies going through rapid change. These customers need specialists who've actually done the hard work and understand these complex environments. Most MSPs have shied away. We've leaned in. And none of it is possible without the almost 400 people who show up every day - the engineers, the founders who joined us and never left, and every person who chose Harbor and helped us build something none of us could have built alone. Our mission hasn't changed: go where it's hardest. If we can solve those problems, we can solve anything," said Johnny Lieberman, founder and CEO of Harbor IT.
Harbor IT is a cyber-first managed services provider delivering integrated IT, cybersecurity, AI, and cloud solutions for organizations with complex, critical, and compliance-driven technology environments. Founded and led by CEO Johnny Lieberman, Harbor was built through a differentiated approach: raising $50 million from a curated network of entrepreneurs and business owners to create an operator-led alternative to traditional private equity rollups. Through nine strategic acquisitions, Harbor has been fully integrated into a single operating platform with a unified product line, including its own US-based SOC and proprietary MXDR platform. Harbor serves midmarket customers predominantly through three specialized vertical practices: private equity portfolio companies, critical infrastructure, and healthcare, each defined by complex operational, regulatory, or security requirements. With nearly 400 employees across 40 states, Harbor supports customers nationwide as their trusted technology partner.
For more information about Harbor IT, visit harborit.com.
Entrepreneur Of The Year honors business leaders for their ingenuity, courage and entrepreneurial spirit. The program celebrates original founders who bootstrapped their business from inception or who raised outside capital to grow their company, transformational CEOs who infused innovation into an existing organization to catapult its trajectory, and multigenerational family business leaders who reimagined a legacy business model to strengthen it for the future.
This year's New York finalists represent New York and Connecticut across all industries, including technology, consumer products, manufacturing, finance life, sciences and more.
Regional award winners will be announced on June 16 during a special celebration in Manhattan and will become lifetime members of an esteemed community of Entrepreneur Of The Year alumni from around the world. The winners will then be considered by the national judges for the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards, which will be presented in November at the annual Strategic Growth Forum ®, where high-growth CEOs, Fortune 1000 executives and investors converge to shape the future of business.
Sponsors
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards include presenting sponsors PNC Bank, Cresa, LLC, Marsh USA, SAP, and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. In New York, sponsors also include regional Platinum sponsor Donnelley Financial Solutions (DFIN), regional Gold sponsors ADP and DLA Piper, and regional Silver sponsor Stagedge.
About Entrepreneur Of The Year ®
Founded in 1986, Entrepreneur Of The Year ® has celebrated more than 11,000 ambitious visionaries who are leading successful, dynamic businesses in the US, and it has since expanded to nearly 80 countries and territories globally.
The US program consists of 17 regional programs whose panels of independent judges select the regional award winners every June. Those winners compete for national recognition at the Strategic Growth Forum ® in November where national finalists and award winners are announced. The national overall winner represents the US at the World Entrepreneur Of The Year ® competition. Visit ey.com/us/eoy.
About EY
EY is building a better working world by creating new value for clients, people, society and the planet, while building trust in capital markets. Enabled by data, AI and advanced technology, EY teams help clients shape the future with confidence and develop answers for the most pressing issues of today and tomorrow. EY teams work across a full spectrum of services in assurance, consulting, tax, strategy and transactions. Fueled by sector insights, a globally connected, multi-disciplinary network and diverse ecosystem partners, EY teams can provide services in more than 150 countries and territories All in to shape the future with confidence.
EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation are available via ey.com/privacy. EY member firms do not practice law where prohibited by local laws. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.
About Harbor IT
Harbor IT is a cyber-first managed service provider delivering integrated IT, cybersecurity, AI and cloud solutions for complex, critical, and compliance-driven organizations nationwide.
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SOURCE Harbor IT