2026 Small Business Awards Program

Presenting Sponsor

Program Sponsor

AGENDA Welcome & Sponsor Recognition Tracy Myers, EVP of Member and Investor Engagement Greensboro Chamber of Commerce Introduction of Emcee Tracy Myers Sponsor Remarks Robert Gray, Emcee SVP of Business Services, Allegacy Financial Lunch Provided by 1618 on Location Introduction of Keynote Tracy Myers Keynote Presentation Ricochet Growth Partners 2026 Small Business Awards Presentation Robert Gray Closing Remarks Tracy Myers

SPONSORS Presenting Sponsor

Gold Sponsor

Bronze Sponsors

Program Sponsor

Photo Sponsor

CIRCLE

EMCEE BIO Robert Gray SVP of Business Services Allegacy Fiancial

Robert Gray is the Sr. Vice President of Business Services at Allegacy Financial. He is responsible for leading and overseeing the commercial banking division across Allegacy’s footprint, as well as developing and implementing strategies to drive growth, profitability, and member satisfaction throughout North Carolina. He oversees all aspects of the company’s commercial portfolio, from sourcing new business opportunities to cultivating market relationships. His strategic leadership is instrumental in expanding Allegacy’s presence and influence, particularly through fostering his long-term relationships with business & industry professionals.

Robert is a key contributor at industry events and community engagements, where he shares insights on market trends. Robert’s ability to build and nurture strong networks has made him a respected figure in the business community.

Robert is committed to the professional development of his team, mentoring emerging leaders and driving a culture of excellence within Allegacy.

AWARDS Mayor’s Committee for Persons with Disabilities Awards Outstanding Employer of the Year This award recognizes employers who demonstrate outstanding achievements in improving employment opportunities for people with disabilities. This award is given to employers with an excellent record of hiring and/or facilitating employment for people with disabilities, and continue to make efforts to create a barrier-free environment.

Brant Taylor Barrier-Free Success Award This award recognizes and honors an individual or organization that has made significant contributions to creating a barrier-free environment for persons with disabilities.

The Chamber ... In Your Inbox Stay connected to what matters.

Sign up to stay in the loop on: Upcoming events + networking opportunities Member news and announcements Award nominations Resources to support your growth Sponsorship opportunities If you or someone on your team isn’t receiving Chamber emails, take a moment to sign up.

Staying connected works best when your whole team is in the loop!

Click here to join the email list. And don’t forget to share with your team!

AWARDS Entrepreneur of the Year Award Entrepreneur of the Year recognizes a person, or company, whose entrepreneurial success has created a thriving and sustainable business. This winner continues to contribute in meaningful ways to our local entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Ignition Award This innovative, early-stage business should be on everyone’s “Watch List” as they are already thriving, contributing to our local economy and helping our community soar to greater heights.

Companies in this category must have launched in the past three years and have already ignited positive impacts on our community.

People’s Choice Award All nominees for the Small Business Awards are entered into the running for the People’s Choice Award. The vote is determined by our full membership.

Small Business of the Year The winning company exemplifies both business and civic leadership. Community involvement, management practices, and overall financial performance are the primary criteria for this category.

Learn more about the Small Business Awards and explore past winners dating back to 1987. It’s a great way to see the businesses that have made an impact across Greensboro.

Past Award Winners

Noah’s ArC WELDING 336-907-9983 COMMERCIAL WELDING STRUCTURAL PIPE MILLWRIGHT

NOMINEES

AKS Gifts and Promotionals Bears, Balloons & Beyond Bibey Machine and Fabrication Cambodian Association of North Carolina Croom Key Realty Feel So Good Body Butter First Stop Medical Solutions Focus Estate Solutions Greensboro Commercial Properties Infrafit Insulation Commandos of Greensboro Joyful Pediatrics K Aaron Consulting & Co Keaton Consulting Company Kneaded By Kani Kristin Kling Financial Advisor

Long Lasting Life LLC Loom Coffee Co. Lorac Academy Merchconnect Nclusive Scan Neighborhood Barre Greensboro Next Chapter Bookstore and Gift Shop Noah's Arc Welding LLC Peace of Her by Lou Pink's Windows Piedmont Triad Red Boot LLC Saunders Mowing & Landscaping LLC StudioRes The Glow Joint Aesthetics The Historic Magnolia House

DIRECTORY Member Directory We hope you enjoy the 2026 Small Business Awards and have the opportunity to connect with many of the outstanding businesses and organizations that make up the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce. Each company you meet today represents the innovation, commitment, and community spirit driving Guilford County forward.

Want to learn more about the members you connected with, or discover others in our network? Explore our online directory, your trusted resource for finding the businesses shaping our community.

Thank you for supporting our members and championing the success of local businesses!

MEMBER DIRECTORY

SOCIAL MEDIA Please take photos while you’re here enjoying the 2026 Small Business Awards and don’t forget to share your best shots and group photos with us on social media. Tag us at @GSOChamber so we can celebrate with you! Let’s make this event the talk of the town!

Follow us at @GSOChamber

336.543.0389 info@soundminditp.llc soundminditp.llc

STARTUP WEEK Our 2026 Greensboro Startup Week is already going strong. Here is a list of events for the rest of the week, starting right after today’s Small Business Awards.

Tuesday, April 28 2:15 pm Founders Panel 4:15 pm Fundraising Rules for Raising Capital 5:30 pm Networking Happy Hour at Hidden Gate Brewing Wednesday, April 29 9 am Keynote - Future of Logistics: On the Road Real World Automation 10 am Triad Women in Manufacturing: The Leaders Driving Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, Morale & Environment 10 am Build Your First Application with AI: Rapid Prototyping, From Ideas to Reality 11 am Building Resilient Supply Chains: From Materials to Manufacturing to Market 12:15 pm Founding the Future: Young Engineers from TRIAD 1:30 pm Fireside Chat: From Idea to Impact: Innovation and Best Practices in Modern Product Development 2:30 pm Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) for Startups: Building Scalable Product Development from Day One 3 pm Building the Future Factory: How Greensboro is Combining Technology, Workforce Development, and Continuous Improvement 4 pm Closing the EV Battery Loop: From Repair and Resale to Reuse, Repurposing, and Recycling 5:30 pm VIP Reception Thursday, April 30 9 am Keynote - JetZero 10 am Keynote - Honda Jet 11 am Frontier Aerospace 5:30 pm Capital Connects

Stay up-to-date on all the sessions, who the speakers are, and where these are happening on our StartUp Week Agenda webpage. Click below.

Startup Week

Save the Date 2026 State of Our Community

Wednesday, August 26 at the Koury Convention Center

RISE + CONNECT

As we celebrate Small Businesses today, we want to make sure you know about our Rise + Connect: Small Business series, which brings together business leaders from similar-sized organizations for an exclusive quarterly breakfast.

Our next event is Tuesday, May 19, starting at 8:30 am at Colorworks 2 at Revolution Mill, 1000 Revolution Mill Dr. For this event, Shawn Straub of Alt + HR will join us to talk through the ever-changing employment law landscape. It is more important than ever to have a well-crafted handbook that supports compliance with employment laws and mitigates your company’s risk. Every business, regardless of size, should have a legally compliant handbook to establish clear expectations, ensure consistent communication of policies, and protect against legal risks.

This document will serve as a centralized guide for employees, outlining company culture, rules, and procedures, which will help improve productivity and reduce misunderstandings.

By the way, Shawn Straub was our 2025 Small Business Community Contributor Award Winner!

Mark your calendar for the whole series, we would love for you to join us again in September and December.

Register Today!

Greensboro Chamber of Commerce 111 W. February One Place Greensboro, NC 27401 336.387.8301 greensboro.org