LEXINGTON PARK, MD — On April 21, 2026, Kevin Switick, Chairman of the Board and cofounder of AVIAN, has been named a finalist for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2026 Mid-Atlantic 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 Switick among 36 finalists from 34 companies based on their entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, company growth and lasting impact in building long-term value.
“As a 20-year-old small business, I am extremely humbled by this recognition from such a prestigious organization, Ernst & Young (EY), a company that has set the standard for excellence and trust across global markets for over a century. Since day one, I have considered EY a role model for what I want Avian Holdings to become. It is a company filled with talented people who possess a distinct entrepreneurial spirit that allows it to thrive on its own,” Switick said.
“I have always held an immense sense of gratitude for our employee-owners and for our customers, whose continued vote of confidence supports what we provide them on their hero’s journey to protect our Nation.”
Founded in 2005, AVIAN provides test and evaluation, digital and model-based systems engineering, strategic communications, training, program support services, and uncrewed systems support. The company serves the Department of Defense and intelligence communities, as well as commercial clients both domestically and internationally. Over the past two decades, AVIAN has built a reputation for being resourceful, responsive, and reachable. These qualities remain the foundation of its business principles and its ability to deliver solutions that make a meaningful difference for warfighters and mission-focused customers.
As a 49% employee-owned company, AVIAN empowers its people to think boldly, act with purpose, and take personal ownership of outcomes. Partnering with AVIAN means working with proactive, productive, and proficient professionals who are committed to doing the right thing, creating raving fans, and making every interaction seamless and effective. Under Switick’s leadership, the company has achieved significant growth and strengthened its culture-first philosophy, ensuring that AVIAN’s promise and credo remain at the heart of everything it does.
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 Mid-Atlantic finalists represent Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., across all industries, including technology, consumer products, manufacturing, finance and more.
Regional award winners will be announced on June 18 during a special celebration in Washington, D.C. 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 the Mid-Atlantic, sponsors also include regional Platinum sponsor ADP, regional Gold sponsors Cooley 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 Avian Holdings, Inc.
Avian Holdings, Inc. is a mid-sized employee-owned parent company that connects the capabilities, people, and strategy behind its subsidiaries, AVIAN, LLC; Level Up, LLC and Sapphire Solutions, LLC. For more than two decades, Avian Holdings has served customers across its portfolio by being resourceful, responsive, and reachable. These values anchor how it supports industry partners and the warfighter.
AVIAN, LLC, our flagship subsidiary, is where our culture and credibility were built. AVIAN delivers program, financial, and logistics management; engineering and systems engineering; test and evaluation of crewed and uncrewed aerial, surface, and sub-surface systems; workforce development and training; and communication strategy and graphic design. AVIAN is known for proactive, proficient, and productive professionals who take pride in doing the right thing, creating raving fans, making it easy for them, and getting the job done. For more information, visit www.avian.com.
Level Up, LLC specializes in cyber security, all-source research and analysis, big data analytics, and information technology consulting for the intelligence community. Level Up’s reputation for dependability and technical precision strengthens our portfolio’s reach into high-demand national security domains. For more information, visit www.levelupllc.com.
Sapphire Solutions is a distinguished solutions provider, renowned for its expertise in Digital/Systems Engineering, Flight Test Safety/Certification, Risk Management, Technology Road Mapping, Quality, Training/Workforce Development, and Strategic Leadership for a variety of government and commercial clients. Sapphire Solutions equips government and industry partners with technical insight for strategic decision-making. For more information, visit: www.gosapphiresolutions.com.
