CohnReznick LLP, one of the leading advisory, assurance, and tax firms in the United States, today announced the winners of its inaugural Gamechangers in ESG Awards program. The program was designed to recognize U.S.-based businesses that are “changing the game” through their commitment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies and practices. A NextGen student award winner was also recognized for their commitment to advancing ESG in their school and community.

The 2022 winners are:

- Sunwealth, Gamechanger of the Year 2022
- The AZEK Company
- Esusu
- Mercy Housing

Melissa Weidner from the University of Dayton is our NexGen student award winner.

The winning companies represent the Renewable Energy, Manufacturing & Distribution, Financial Services, and Affordable Housing industries and their areas of ESG focus range from mitigating the racial wealth gap to creating social access and green jobs in underserved areas to environmental sustainability through repurposing landfill-bound trash to making wellness more accessible to low-income households and more.

In addition to the winners, a few organizations stood out as “Gamechangers to Watch.” They are:  

- Agios Pharmaceuticals
- Canyon Coffee
- Force Blue, Inc.
- North Sky Capital
- Volt Energy Utility LLC

Applications were reviewed and scored by an independent panel of 12 judges who were selected because they and their organizations have shown a strong commitment to ESG.

“We are delighted that nearly 100 organizations that were diverse in size and scale applied to our inaugural Gamechangers in ESG Awards program,” said David Kessler, CohnReznick CEO. “CohnReznick has been a leader in many industries that have been championing ESG strategies over many decades. Our goal in launching this program was to elevate the stories of companies and students changing the game through their ESG efforts in order to inspire other organizations in their own ESG journey. Our outstanding group of 2022 winners exemplify what it means to be an ESG gamechanger.”  

CohnReznick is hosting a virtual awards ceremony to honor the winners later this fall. The ceremony will be in collaboration with Major League Baseball® through CohnReznick’s league sponsorship. Each winner’s story will also be shared in a video so that others can learn from these organizations' strategies, challenges, and understanding of what drives value for their stakeholders.