On Friday, June 14, Ernst and Young LLP (EY US) announced that the Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) was named an Entrepreneur of the Year 2024 Greater Los Angeles Award winner. The LAFC is represented by Lead Managing Owner Bennett Rosenthal, Owner Will Ferrell, And Co-President & CBO Larry Freedman. The award is the preeminent competitive award for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies.
An independent judging panel was responsible for the selection of the LAFC as a recipient of the award. The panel is made up of previous award winners, leading CEOs, and various other business leaders. All candidates for the reward were evaluated on their ability to generate long-term value through entrepreneurial spirit, devotion to their purpose, and a clear demonstration of impact, growth, and other key indicators.
LAFC Lead Managing Owner Bennett Rosenthal stated, “We are honored and extremely grateful to be recognized as the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Greater Los Angeles.” He continued, “I want to thank our co-managing owners Larry Berg and Brandon Beck and executive chairman Peter Gruber for their vision, expertise, and incredible friendship and partnership. I must also thank the rest of our ownership group for coming together to make our crazy dream of bringing a second soccer team to Los Angeles a success beyond what anyone thought was possible.”
LAFC initially launched as an expansion team in 2014, entering a crowded Los Angeles sports market. However, the brand grew rapidly into one of the most respected in worldwide football. The LAFC has scaled to the top of Major League Soccer since beginning play in 2018 and has upheld high standards of quality both on and off the field. The club won the 2022 MLS Cup and since its inception, has earned more points and wins than any other team in the league.
LAFC Owner Will Ferrell spoke on the award, saying, “This is a special award for our club.” He added, “It has been inspiring to see the way the community and the supporters in the 3252 have embraced this team from the very first day, and we look forward to many more incredible nights with them at BMO Stadium.”
LAFC developed the state-of-the-art, 22,000-seat sports and entertainment venue, BMO Stadium, as the first MLS team to be valued by Forbes at over $1 billion. The stadium has sold out every MLS regular season and playoff game in the club’s history thus far while bringing in more than one million fans for headlining concerts last year alone.
LAFC Co-president & CEO Larry Freedman stated, “Just seven years since first the ball kicked opened our door, it is incredible to see how LAFC and BMO Stadium have become industry leaders in the world of sports and entertainment.” He concluded, “We are excited to be recognized with this award, and to continue our mission of uniting the world’s city through the world’s game, bringing joy and being a force for good in Los Angeles.”
As a Greater Los Angeles award-winner, the club is now eligible for the Entrepreneur of the Year 2024 National Awards. Winners of that award, including the Entrepreneur of the Year National Overall Award winner will be held at the Strategic Growth Forum in November. Entrepreneur of the Year recognizes several different types of business leaders for their courage, ingenuity, and entrepreneurial spirit.
