​Wei-Shin Lai, M.D., has been named PA Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration

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​Wei-Shin Lai, M.D., has been named PA Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration

Monday Jun 6th, 2016

Wei-Shin Lai, M.D., founder and chief executive of Erie-based AcousticSheep, has been named Pennsylvania Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The statewide winners were announced Monday. Winners from the 49 other states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands will compete May 1-2 in Washington, D.C., for the honor of National Small Business Person of the Year.

A native of Taiwan, Lai launched what would become AcousticSheep in 2007 when she and her husband, Crawford County native Jason Wolfe, created their first set of wearable headphones, designed to allow the user to fall asleep to the sound of soft music.

"I'd like to thank the Erie community for being so supportive of AcousticSheep," Lai said in a statement. "We look forward to continued rapid growth as we create a world of happier, healthier, well-rested people."

AcousticSheep, which has about 25 full and part-time employees, was honored as the top new business of the year during the 2015 Commitment to Erie Awards, sponsored by the Erie Times-News and GoErie.com.

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"One of our secrets to success is being part of the ETI community of aspiring entrepreneurs. With the leadership, training, mentor support and the resources of Gannon University, ETI is one of the hottest accelerators to build a startup. ETI fosters a culture of innovation and hard work. Both play a huge role in the success of Evident Financial. Our business is mostly conducted face-to-face, so it is important we have an office environment that makes our clients feel welcomed and comfortable. The beautiful lobby and office space of the CBI building is fresh and vibrant, the perfect complement to our brand. As Founder of Evident Financial, I could not overstate how important ETI is to the growth of Evident Financial. We are fortunate to be part of the ETI family." 

David Cullen, CFA

Founder and CEO - Evident Financial

It is said 90% of startups fail. The ETI gives entrepreneurs the resources to beat the odds through world-class mentorship, a collaborative professional environment, and an invaluable network of industry connections.

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