WASHINGTON – Today, Administrator Jovita Carranza, the head of the U.S. Small Business Administration formally announced National Small Business Week, May 3-9, 2020, along with the 2020 Small Business Persons of the Year winners from throughout the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam. The winners have been invited to attend ceremonies in Washington, D.C., on May 3-4, where they will be honored with their individual award. During the ceremonies, the SBA will announce the 2020 National Small Business Person of the Year among the individual winners represented from across the U.S. and territories.
Administrator Carranza will start the week in Washington, D.C., where she will recognize and award outstanding small business owners and SBA Resource Partners from around the nation. She will continue the week meeting with local entrepreneurs, visiting small businesses, and holding roundtable discussions with community leaders in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Pa., Charlotte, N.C., Denver, Colo. and Anaheim, Calif.
“What an honor it is for me to recognize the National Small Business Week state and territorial winners from across the nation whose exceptional hard work has created and built successful small businesses,” said Carranza. “These women and men not only realized their dreams of entrepreneurship but have also been tremendous job creators, helping to expand our economy. They represent the 30 million American small businesses – our nation’s innovators and risk-takers.”
Also, the SBA will co-host a free, two-day virtual conference, May 5-6, featuring educational workshops and networking. National Small Business Week recognition and educational seminars throughout SBA’s 10 Regions and 68 Districts will be held during the week.
During National Small Business Week, additional award winners will be recognized for their involvement in disaster recovery, government contracting, and their support for small businesses and entrepreneurship. Awards will be presented to SBA partners in financial and entrepreneurial development, including top SCORE Chapter, Small Business Development Center, Women’s Business Center and Veterans Business Outreach Center.
Details and registration information will be posted on www.sba.gov/NSBW as events are finalized.
2020 State and Territory Small Business Person(s) of the Year
ALABAMA
Sridhara R. Gutti
Founder and President
Essnova Solutions, Inc.
Birmingham, AL 35203
ALASKA
Christy NaMee Eriksen
Owner
The Kindred Post, LLC
Juneau, AK 99801
ARIZONA
Peter Van Bogaert
President
PVB Fabrications, Inc.
Tucson, AZ 85705
ARKANSAS
Travis Daniel Bird
Owner/CEO
Arkansas Elite Welding Academy, LLC
Quitman, AR 72131
CALIFORNIA
Alice Chun Kao
CEO/Co-Founder
Sender One Climbing, LLC
Santa Ana, CA 92705
COLORADO
David Levesque
Owner/Founder/Brewmaster
Henry Rusch
Co-Owner/Founder
Launch Pad Brewery
Aurora, CO 80017
CONNECTICUT
Matthew Thomas Beaudoin
Operating Member/Artisan
Mystic Knotwork, LLC
Mystic, CT 06355
DELAWARE
Christopher Alan Burkhard
President
Placers
Newark, DE 19711
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Christi Venable, LPC
CEO/Therapist
SMILE Therapy Services LLC
Washington, D.C. 20019
FLORIDA
Ryan Carter
Executive VP and Co-Owner
Scotlynn USA Division Inc.
Fort Myers, FL 33908
GEORGIA
Kraig Torres
Founder and President
Hop City Craft Beer & Wine
Atlanta, GA 30307
GUAM
Susan Biolchino
President
Jessie Rosario
Vice President of Sales and Marketing
Christopher Biolchino
Vice President, Technology
Graphic Center, Inc.
Tamuning, Guam 96913
HAWAII
Christine Lanning
President
Integrated Security Technologies Inc.
Waipahu, HI 96797
IDAHO
John Dehoff
Partner
Carina Dehoff
Leisureland RV Center LLC
Boise, ID 83716
ILLINOIS
Molly Meyer
Founder & CEO
Omni Ecosystems
Chicago, IL 60607
INDIANA
Sherri Davis
President/CEO
Paragon Force Inc.
Bloomfield, IN 47424
IOWA
Sabetha R. Mumm
Owner/Instructor
Dance Vision
Johnston, IA 50131
KANSAS
Amie J. Tripp-Bristol
President & CEO
HMC Performance Coatings, LLC
Tonganoxie, KS 66086
KENTUCKY
Mavis Linnemann-Clark
Owner/Founder
The Delish Dish, LLC; Made by Mavis; Kickstart Kitchen
Covington, KY 41011
LOUISIANA
James Jerrard Moore
Managing Partner
Expert Maintenance & Construction Services LLC
Gonzales, LA 70737
MAINE
Nathaniel Pierce
President
Aaron Anker
Vice President
Bountiful Berry, Inc.
Dba Grandy Oats
Hiram, Maine 04041
MARYLAND
Anton Che Bizzell, MD
President & CEO
The Bizzell Group LLC
Lanham, MD 20706
MASSACHUSETTS
Brian Geisel
CEO
Geisel Software
Worcester, MA 01606
MICHIGAN
Nate McFadden
Owner & President
Elevated Technologies Inc.
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
MINNESOTA
Paula Trenda
CEO and Founder
Curly Girlz Candy, Inc.
Owatonna, MN 55060
MISSISSIPPI
Vera D. Hall
Managing Member/Principal
Innovative Performance Construction Co., LLC
Fayette, MS 39069
MISSOURI
Kelsey M. Raymond
Co-founder/CEO
Influence & Co.
Columbia, MO 65203
MONTANA
Keelan James
Co-Owner
Brianna James
Co-Owner
Easy Lawn Hydroseeding LLC
Belgrade, MT 59714
NEBRASKA
Rakesh Srivastava
President and Founder
Innovative Prosthetics & Orthotics; Shabri, LLC
Hastings, NE 68901
NEVADA
Paul L. Sallach
President
All In Aviation, LLC
(Skys The Limit In., Lodge
Haven LLC; Double Down Aviation LLC)
Las Vegas, NV 89130
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Albert J. Letizio Jr.
President/CEO
A.J. Letizio Sales and Marketing, Inc.
Windham, NH 03087
NEW JERSEY
Christopher D. Finnick
Chief Executive Officer/Owner
Mama’s Southern Style BBQ 2, LLC
Vauxhall, NJ 07088
NEW MEXICO
William A. Goodman, Ph.D.
President & CEO
Goodman Technologies LLC
Albuquerque, NM 87109
NEW YORK
Raj Mehta
CEO
Raj Technologies Inc.
Plainview, NY 11803
NORTH CAROLINA
William H. Howe
President
Rick Hill
COO
Mick Zulpo
Director of Sales & Marketing
Apex Instruments Inc.
Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526
NORTH DAKOTA
Charissa Rubey
CEO/Sales & Marketing Executive Director
Dakota Micro, Inc.
Cayuga, ND 58013
OHIO
John Christopher Rush
CEO/President
CleanTurn International LLC
Columbus, OH 43222
OKLAHOMA
Lisa Woodward Riley
President
Power of Three Investments
Dba Pinot’s Palette
Tulsa, OK 74146
OREGON
Shelia Kilpatrick
Founder/Executive Director
Discovery Gardens Childcare, LLC
Portland, OR 97217
PENNSYLVANIA
Cynthia T. Gallo
President
Fiber Business Solutions Group, Inc.
Dba G Force
Norristown, PA 19403
PUERTO RICO
Marisol Otero Perez
President
Proassets LLC
Guaynabo, PR 00965
RHODE ISLAND
Harmony Oschefski
Cedar Hwang
Co-Owners
The Bodhi Spa
Newport, RI 02840
SOUTH CAROLINA
Furman E. Burgess
President/Owner
Diversified Systems Inc. – Foothills Properties LLC
Greenville, SC 29609
SOUTH DAKOTA
Randy Gruenwald
President
Dakota Butcher
Clark, SD 57225
TEXAS
Timothy Marlo Porter
Founder and CEO
Appddiction Studio LLC
San Antonio, TX 78247
UTAH
Joseph Watson
CEO
Jen Watson
CFO
K9 Sport Sack
Orem, Utah 84058
VERMONT
Sean Lawson
Founding Brewer/CEO
Karen Lawson
Chief Creative Officer
Lawson’s Finest Liquids, LLC
Waitsfield, VT 05673
VIRGINIA
George L. Nyfeler III, LS, LEED, AP
President
Nyfeler Associates LLC
Richmond, VA 23220-5502
WASHINGTON
Olga Sagan
Owner
Piroshky Piroshky
Seattle, WA 98108
WEST VIRGINIA
Brenda Faye Sheldon
President/CEO
Kimberly Allyn Eastman
Co-Owner
Hospitality Cleaning Solutions, LLC
Hurricane, WV 25526
WISCONSIN
Mark D. Becker
Co-Founder/COO
Jeffrey K. Peterson
Co-Founder/CEO
Geneva Supply Inc.
Delavan, WI 53115
WYOMING
Brady Lewis, PE
President/CEO
Jack Fritz
Director of Operations
Chad Reed
Branch Manager
Darrin Tromble
Branch Manager
Greg Reid
Branch Manager
Murray Schroeder
Branch Manager
Shawn Higley
Branch Manager
WWC Engineering
Sheridan, WY 82801
About National Small Business Week
For more than 50 years, the President of the United States has issued a proclamation announcing National Small Business Week, which recognizes the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year. As part of National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration takes the opportunity to highlight the impact of outstanding entrepreneurs, small business owners, and others from all 50 states and U.S. territories. Every day, they’re working to grow small businesses, create 21st century jobs, drive innovation, and increase America’s global competitiveness.
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership.
As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.