Nomination Process Open for the 42nd Annual Small Business Awards

GO Topeka announced the nomination process for Topeka and Shawnee County’s 42nd Annual Small Business Awards, presented by CoreFirst Bank & Trust, will open on Friday, January 13 at 10 a.m. and will close Friday, February 24 at 3 p.m. Community members can use this link to nominate Topeka and Shawnee County’s small businesses throughout the nomination process. Category descriptions, award criteria and eligibility and other information can be found on the GO Topeka website.

The 2023 Small Business Awards, which are being put on by GO Topeka and the Greater Topeka Partnership, will be held Tuesday, May 2 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Townsite Ballroom, with lunch being served. At the awards ceremony, attendees will hear from community leaders about the impact and successes of the capital city’s thriving small-business community.

There are a total of nine award categories: Young Entrepreneur Award, Micro Enterprise Award, Emerging Innovation Venture Award, Women-Owned Small Business Award, Minority-Owned Small Business Award, Veteran-Owned Small Business Award, Small Business Manufacturer Award, Small Business Exporter Award, and Top City Small Business of the Year. 

Small businesses make a big impact on our local community,” said Laurie Pieper, vice president of entrepreneurship and small business for GO Topeka. “The 2023 Small Business Awards, presented by Core First Bank & Trust, are designed to celebrate the hard work and contribution these organizations demonstrate in our community — but we can’t recognize them for their achievements without help from the community, their customers. I hope area residents will take a few minutes today to nominate a small business they think has gone above and beyond in making Topeka and Shawnee County a better place to live, work and play, because when our small businesses thrive, our community thrives.”

Tickets for the 42nd annual Small Business Awards may be purchased here. To be eligible for an award, small businesses had to be located within Shawnee County and have 100 or fewer employees, including the owner(s). Evaluation included review of each business’ vision, staying power, growth, innovativeness, response to adversity and community engagement.