Running a small business is a constant battle between entrepreneurial passion and administrative hurdles.

While the entrepreneurial spirit in the U.S. is stronger than ever, our latest research at Simply Business reveals a stark reality for independent founders: 87% are forced to use personal funds to stay afloat, while 80% are losing critical growth hours to administrative burdens like invoicing, scheduling, and finance.

Furthermore, although 73% of owners report feeling more confident today than when they first launched, 57% have seen their revenue stay flat or decline over the past year.

In short, many of America’s most promising entrepreneurs are stuck in a cycle of survival. They have the drive to scale, but they lack the operational breathing room and capital to make it happen.

That is why Simply Business partnered with the nonprofit digital business accelerator Sky’s the Limit to launch the 2026 Big Dreams Grant, which provides $25,000 in grants as well as mentorship and resources for winners and finalists to help them overcome the small business growth plateau.

Initially, we anticipated a strong turnout. But what happened next blew us away: we received over 6,500 applications from all across the United States—nearly triple our initial projections! After a meticulous review process, we are thrilled to introduce the five grand prize winners and the additional 20 boundary-pushing finalists of the 2026 Big Dreams Grant.

Meet the 2026 Grand Prize Winners

These five winners were chosen for their exceptional businesses, scalability, and strategic plans to turn $5,000 of capital into immediate, measurable growth.

1. BirdieBlue (Vermont)

The Founder: Kate Harvey
The Mission: Re-engineering the wasteful outdoor gear industry.
The Story: BirdieBlue upcycles notoriously hard-to-recycle technical outdoor fabrics (like old ski pants and tents) into premium, American-made bags. They have already diverted over 20,000 pieces of gear from landfills to date.
The $5,000 Catalyst: Kate is utilizing the grant to purchase custom steel cutting dies for her hydraulic clicker press, reducing manual fabric-preparation times by 90% (from three days down to three hours) and instantly tripling production capacity.

2. KneadED NEO (Ohio)

The Founders: Chef Adenike Harper & Chef Saidah Farrell
The Mission: Feeding local culinary dreams through cooperative ownership.
The Story: Based in Shaker Heights, KneadED is a worker-owned cooperative bakery and shared commercial kitchen space. They empower aspiring local food entrepreneurs and at-risk youth with affordable workspace and hands-on mentorship.
The $5,000 Catalyst: After unexpected municipal architect fees ate into their initial startup budget, the team is using the grant to buy a double commercial oven. This investment ensures multiple co-op members can bake simultaneously, dramatically increasing daily rental revenue.

3. Rise & Ritual (Pennsylvania)

The Founder: Taylor Nickens
The Mission: Returning communities to their roots through plant medicine.
The Story: As West Philadelphia’s first tea house and apothecary, Rise & Ritual blends preventative care with immersive wellness experiences. In just four months of operation, Taylor has served over 4,500 customers.
The $5,000 Catalyst: To keep pace with massive retail demand, Taylor is deploying the grant to fund the initial production run of branded tea bag and pouch packaging and secure bulk herb inventory needed to fulfill their operations.

4. Select Auto Parts & Sales (Wisconsin)

The Founder: Natasha Broxton
The Mission: Keeping communities moving with affordable, eco-friendly auto parts.
The Story: Natasha operates one of the country’s few Black woman-owned auto recyclers and Milwaukee’s only indoor salvage facility. Serving over 455 local repair shops, Select Auto Parts & Sales also partners with local vocational programs to provide workforce training.
The $5,000 Catalyst: Despite running a massive 125,000-square-foot facility on a high-traffic corridor, commuter drive-bys represent a massive untapped market due to a total lack of signage. Natasha will fund the design and installation of professional, highly visible exterior signage to convert commuters into walk-in customers.

5. Stereotype Co (New York)

The Founder: David A. Nudelman
The Mission: Teaching entrepreneurship through real-world creative design.
The Story: Operating out of Staten Island, the School Spirit Enterprise (SSE) program helps NYC public school students start merchandise-driven businesses where they design, manufacture, and sell apparel straight from their classrooms.
The $5,000 Catalyst: David is investing the funds into outreach to school administrators and DOE decision-makers, production kits and program materials for new classrooms, and printing a book on the SSE methods to triple the amount of schools reached through the program.

Celebrating Our Powerhouse Finalists

While only five took home the cash grants, the remaining 20 finalists will receive six months of free access to Sky’s the Limit’s Launchpad program, equipping them with automated workflow software and corporate mentoring to help them scale.

Here are the 20 trailblazing runners-up shaking up their respective industries:

Apparel

Armadillo Woolery (VA): With the goal to make safer gear accessible and understandable to both first responders and civilians, firefighter Bryan Goodman battles occupational cancer risks by manufacturing PFAS-free and FR-free Merino wool performance station wear for firefighters and first responders.

B2B Advisory

National Beauty & Barber Tax Service LLC (OH): Accountant and salon veteran Malika Brown built the “Beauty CFO™” ecosystem, providing CFO-level financial strategy including entity structuring, payroll compliance, cash flow planning, and wealth building in a format that actually resonates with the beauty community.
Shelby Technology Solutions LLC (TX): Kathryn Lopez Shelby’s tech consulting agency helps small businesses with cybersecurity, connectivity, cloud strategy, AI readiness, and operational readiness. She works with businesses across Texas, many in underserved or rural markets, to demystify complex digital transformations.

Beauty & Grooming Trailblazers

DFW Lash University (TX): Roxie Rochelle Reese has built a hybrid online and in-person beauty school that has empowered over 1,000 aspiring lash artists to secure career opportunities and true financial independence with lash licensing, training, and mentorship.
MelanBrand Skin (VA): Mother-and-son duo Patrice and Bron Chappelle launched MelanBrand Skin to fill a crucial gap with clean skincare for youth with sensitive, melanated skin. Their products are dermatologist approved, cruelty free, vegan, gluten free, and intentionally created for growing skin.
Threesixty Barbershop (OR): Jason Miller founded THREESIXTY in downtown Salem to combine precision styling with a supportive space to mentor emerging barbering talent because “your hairstyle should reflect your personality and lifestyle”.

Children’s Entertainment

My Gnome on the Roam (TN): Educator Anne Armstrong launched what began as a children’s book to give attention back to childhood, family connection, and memory-making. This has since evolved into a multi-platform family connection brand that includes books, adventure kits, live experiences, and On the Roam apps.

Essential Home & Property Services

Dawn’z Dirt B Gone (TN): Led by Dawn Watson, this cleaning service helps busy parents, seniors, individuals facing health challenges, military families, or people simply going through difficult seasons of life. Through their “Cancer Care Cleanings” program, they also donate monthly cleaning services to local patients undergoing active medical treatment.
Lavoie Plumbing and Heating LLC (MA): Daniel Lavoie brings transparency and top-tier craftsmanship to plumbing, heating, and full-scale residential renovations. Currently transitioning from a solo operation into a scalable company, he is focused on providing consistent work for his clients, creating new job opportunities, and raising the standard.
Professional Yard Men LLC (SC): Frederick Means’ SC-based landscaping business is more than just cutting grass or maintaining properties. It has always been about creating opportunity, building trust in the community, and showing customers what professionalism and reliability look like in the landscaping industry
Traditional Plumbing FL LLC (FL): Veteran plumber Patrick Shackton brings transparency and top-tier craftsmanship to his customers. His company is committed to addressing critical issues quickly, efficiently, and with lasting solutions because reliable plumbing is essential to health, safety, and comfort.

Health, Care, & Wellness Champions

Assisted Senior Services (FL): Founded by Morgan Potts, this Florida-based agency provides hands-on guidance, emotional support, and practical solutions for seniors and their families who are overwhelmed by the maze of care options, paperwork, appointments, and decisions.
Mommy Scrubs (TX): Occupational therapist Cherie Turner patented the first pump-friendly medical scrub line, designed specifically for breastfeeding healthcare professionals. She is partnering with hospital systems to position Mommy Scrubs as an employee retention and PUMP Act compliance solution.

Pet Wellness & Canine Fitness

Run-N-Paw (FL): Danielle Groover, a veteran veterinary technician of over ten years, combats the canine obesity epidemic with a mobile, climate-controlled fitness van and dog gym. She also partners with Halifax Humane Society and Southeast Volusia Humane Society to bring this service to shelter dogs.

A Better Market LLC (NJ): Shana Manradge operates the first local healthy corner store to serve Paterson, a food desert where residents have limited access to affordable and nutritious food and are often forced to rely on fast food or processed convenience store items. A Better Market also created the Healthy Produce Access Program to serve working families who do not qualify for SNAP but still struggle to afford healthy food.
New Beginnings Property Solutions (LA): Kirschlan Blanchard started New Beginnings Property Solutions to offer safe, fully furnished transitional housing designed to help individuals stabilize their finances while rebuilding independence, dignity, and confidence.

Specialty Food

Hazy Fudge (NY): Carol Fitzgerald introduced a new patent-pending process that produces Cabernet Wine-Infused and Bourbon-Infused fudge containing up to 5% ABV. What started as a homemade gift has become so popular that Hazy Fudge is currently found in over 35 retail locations.

Sustainable Pioneers

Brown’s Recycling LLC (AL): Spearheaded by Angela Brown following her co-founder husband’s passing, this Alabama salvage powerhouse has recycled 500 tons of metal, helping to reduce landfill waste and regional carbon emissions, and has returned over $250,000 directly back to local families.
Green Shoppe PA (PA): Single mother and Latina founder Julie McClymonds has run this Meadville eco-refill store for 11 years, bridging the gap between affordable pricing and low-waste living by offering curated eco-friendly products, refill systems, and locally sourced goods that help customers make healthier choices for their homes without feeling overwhelmed or priced out.
Wise Earthcare Inc DBA ELIMS (CA): Biomedical engineer Belinda Lau launched ELIMS to bring sustainable oral care to the world. Her commitment is to reduce waste produced by all healthcare products, so ELIMS oral care products (and packaging) are 100% sustainable, without sacrificing function or design.

We are deeply inspired by the resilience demonstrated by every business owner who shared their story with us. Congratulations once again to the winners and finalists of the 2026 Big Dreams Grant! We look forward with immense excitement to the continued growth and the lasting positive impact your businesses will undoubtedly drive in the years to come.

Meet the Winners and Finalists of the 2026 Big Dreams Grant