Legacy of the Peak: Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future
Join us for Small Business Week: Legacy of the Peak, a celebration of the entrepreneurs who shape our community and drive our economy forward. This inspiring week is filled with opportunities to connect, learn, and grow—from honoring visionary business leaders to exploring cutting-edge innovations and championing the future of small business.
Small businesses are the heart of our region, carrying forward a Legacy of the Peak—where rich traditions meet bold new ideas. This year, we honor the trailblazers who built our foundation and the next generation of entrepreneurs who are redefining what’s possible.
For over 18 years, Small Business Week of the Pikes Peak Region has been a cornerstone event, celebrating the innovation, resilience, and impact of our local business community. Established through a strong partnership between the Pikes Peak Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC, and the Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado (BBB), this week-long celebration continues to grow, thanks to the generous support of our presenting sponsor, U.S. Bank.
Register for Small Business Week
Join us for Small Business Week: Legacy of the Peak, a celebration of the entrepreneurs who shape our community. This dynamic week is filled with opportunities to connect, learn, and grow, from honoring visionary business leaders to exploring cutting-edge innovations and championing small business success.
Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, bridging the past and future—where time-honored traditions meet bold new ideas. This year, we pay tribute to the trailblazers who built our region and the next generation of entrepreneurs who are redefining what’s possible.
Small Business Week 2025
Registration is open! Click here to register for Small Business Week events.
Monday, May 5 – Kickoff Celebration & Awards Presentation
📍 COS City Hub | ⏰ 4 – 5:30 PM
Kick off Small Business Week with a lively networking event featuring a cash bar, appetizers, and a celebration of our thriving small business community.
🏆 Awards Presentation – We will honor outstanding entrepreneurs and business leaders with the following awards:
- Veteran Small Business Owner Award
- Small Business Person of the Year
- Family-Owned Small Business Award
- Small Business Champion Award
- Young Entrepreneur Award
Celebrate the success and resilience of local business owners while connecting with fellow entrepreneurs, business leaders, and community supporters!
Wednesday, May 7 – AI Discussion
📍 Glen Eyrie | ⏰ 8 – 10 AM
A special edition of 1 Million Cups, featuring a discussion with Jonathan Liebert on how Generative AI is reshaping websites and marketing. Enjoy coffee and muffins while gaining valuable insights on the future of business technology.
Thursday, May 8 – Small Business Listening Tour | ⏰ 11:30AM – 1 PM
📍 Catalyst Campus | In Partnership with ‘In The Mix’
A collaborative session where small business owners share challenges and opportunities directly with policymakers. Lunch tables will be structured as working groups to facilitate meaningful feedback and discussion.
Friday, May 9 – Closing Celebration |⏰4-6 PM
📍 The Alexander | Afternoon Networking Event
Wrap up the week with a networking celebration at The Alexander! Enjoy a cash bar (with one drink ticket per guest), light refreshments, a chance to connect with peers and partners, and maybe a door prize or two!
2025 Small Business Awards finalists
Each of the following finalists has made a remarkable impact in their industry and community, demonstrating why small businesses are the true backbone of Southern Colorado. This year’s business celebration will take place on Monday, May 5, from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at COS City Hub, 4304 Austin Bluffs Pkwy, and promises to be an unforgettable evening of community networking and celebration. Tickets available here.
2025 Finalists
Small Business Person of the Year
- Donavan Kennedy – Hillside Gardens
- Jessica Lee – 413 LLC
- Mitchell Yellen – Altitude Hospitality Group
Small Business Champion of the Year
- Jennifer Smith – OnebodyEnt
- Richard Muszynski – Abby’s Towing and Recovery Inc.
- Rocio Scott – U.S. Bank
Young Entrepreneur of the Year
- Chantal Lucas – Luchals
- Danielle Patterson – The Patterson Center for Resiliency
- Dr. Janasia Rapp – Pawfection of Helping Hands Mobile Veterinary Acupuncture & Wellness
Family-Owned Business of the Year
- Bill’s Plumbing and Drain Service – Michael Podczervinski
- CAYA’s Painting – Yadira Sierra
- Ed Green Construction – Josh Green
Veteran-Owned Business of the Year
- Andrew Graff – Luisa Graff Jewelers
- Hassan Campbell – Infinity Technology Services LLC (ITS)
- Rich Lewis – Medicare Mentors
- Celebrate Small Business Excellence – Nominate Today!
- Young Entrepreneur Award Nomination
- Small Business Champion Award Nomination
- Family-Owned Small Business Award Nomination
- Small Business Person of the Year Nomination
- Veteran Small Business Owner Award Nomination
Small businesses are the heart of our community, driving innovation, creating jobs, and making a lasting impact. As we gear up for Small Business Week, it’s time to recognize the outstanding entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping our region’s future.
Do you know a young entrepreneur making waves, a family business thriving across generations, or a veteran bringing leadership and service to their enterprise? What about a dedicated small business advocate or an exceptional business owner leading with innovation and resilience?
Now is your chance to nominate an outstanding business or individual for one of our Small Business Week Awards:
🏆 Young Entrepreneur of the Year
🏆 Family-Owned Business of the Year
🏆 Veteran Small Business of the Year
🏆 Small Business Champion of the Year
🏆 Small Business Person of the Year
Help us celebrate the best in small business! Submit your nominations today.
The Young Entrepreneur of the Year award honors an entrepreneur 35 years of age or younger with at least a one-year track record – demonstrating innovativeness, commitment to the community, and potential for long-term business success.
The Small Business Champion of the Year honors an individual who has fulfilled a commitment to the advancement of small business opportunities – dedicating time and effort to advocating for, promoting, and serving small businesses.
This award honors a family-owned and operated business, with multiple generations represented with at least a ten-year track record – demonstrating commitment to the community and other family-owned businesses, prioritizing family, and having potential for long-term business success.
This award honors a business owner/operator (or team) with at least a three-year track record who meets multiple criteria defining a successful entrepreneur. Criteria includes demonstrating exceptional increase in sales, net profit, and net worth, sustained growth in number of employees, staying power, innovativeness in product or service, overcoming adversity, and community contributions. This is the most elite and prestigious award due to the number of criteria the business must meet.
This award honors a U.S. Armed Forces veteran who has owned and operated a business with at least a two-year track record demonstrating commitment to the community and other veteran-owned businesses, incorporating their experience as a veteran into their business model, and having potential for long-term business success.
City and County leaders listening session
2024 Kickoff Bash
Workshops and Education
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History, mission, & community experience
Small Business Week (SBW) of the Pikes Peak Region began more than 18 years ago as a partnership between the Pikes Peak Small Business Development Center(SBDC), Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC, and the Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado (BBB).
The event took place as a one-day awards banquet “Small Business Day” highlighting small businesses within the Pikes Peak Region. In 2012, the Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado and the Pikes Peak Small Business Development Center, took on full operations of the event and created a week-long event called “Small Business Week”.
This unique event to our region historically has begun with a kick-off event, followed by days of educational small business workshops, and includes an Awards Celebration.
Today’s mission of celebrating small business continues to reach new heights. The Pikes Peak Small Business Week was named the largest Small Business Week national celebration in the United States by the Small Business Administration in 2020, a significant achievement for our event in the City of Colorado Springs.
Small Business Week continues to place the City of Colorado Springs on the map as the largest local small business celebration and provides:
- An essential emphasis on the importance of small businesses’ impact on our local economy
- An essential event to support a positive regional brand and community image as the best place to start and grow a small business
- Supports the concept of economic gardening, an economic development model that embraces the fundamental idea that entrepreneurs drive economies