2026 SBA Award Winners

Empowering Excellence

Join us in congratulating the winners of the
2026 SBA Awards for the San Diego & Imperial Counties.

District Director's Award for SBA Mission Support Chris Ramos, AVP, Business Banker Enterprise Bank and Trust

Young Entrepreneur
of the Year
Joseph Ekyoci
Kupanda African & Caribbean Market
Owner

Young Entrepreneur of the Year Aaron De La Pax, Owner, Hustle Tattoo & Piercing Studio

District Director’s Microenterprise of the Year
Solime Royal Hair, LLC
Nina S. Pinidi
Owner

District Director's Award for Overcoming Adversity Shell Singal

District Director’s Award for Overcoming Adversity
Dustin Hayes, Owner
Red White and Badass Brew

District Director's Microenterprise of the Year Roana Canete, Owner, Operator, The Gluten Free Baking Company

District Director’s Award for Innovation
Aquacycl
Orianna Bretschger & Sofia Bababova
Managing Partners

Hima R. Nippuleti

Veteran Business Champion of the Year
Veterans in Business (VIB) Network
Rebecca Aguilera-Gardiner

Small Business Persons of the Year - Drew Simpson, President; Keith Arnold, Vice President; and Ryan Tisinger, Director of Business Development Amerivet Contracting

Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year
Maeve Consulting
Precillia Redmond, Owner

Trai and John Betancourt

Jill Andrews Award for Staying Power
Salam Hasenin, Owner
Star Flooring and Remodeling

Kelly Twitchel - SB Exporter

Small Business
Exporters of the Year
Epitope
Ping Gao, CEO

Champion of Diverse Small Businesses, Christiana Russell, Founder, Mended Wing Consulting

District’s Awards for
SBA Mission Support
Patrick Luedke
SCORE San Diego

Pacific Region Small Business Subcontractor of the Year, Peter Huang, President & Co-Founder, OmnicronVis, LLC

Rural Small Business of the Year
Pollos Mis Pollos
Daniel Serrano, Owner

Arturo Bojorquez

Financial Services Champion of the Year
Roxanne Goolsbee
Banner Bank

Christina Bibler, Elizabeth Studebaker, Monica Hardman

Small Business Manufacturer of the Year
VetPowered
Hernán Luis y Prado, Owner

Fred Grier - Small Business Journalist of the Year - San Diego County

Family Owned Small Business of the Year
Kalei’s Kitchenette
Andy James Mangiduyos & Khara Mangiduyos
Owners

Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year Julie Lowen, President, CEO Children's Paradise

Women in Business
Champion of the Year
Rebeca Sheehan
Verde Design Group Landscape Architect, Inc

Philip Smith & Jack A Rubidoux

Small Business Persons
of the Year
Devon Julian
EC Pet and Feed LLC dba Village Pet & Feed

How do you nominate a small business for the SBA Awards?