Greater Topeka Partnership announce winners of 40th annual Small Business Awards Ceremony

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - The Greater Topeka Partnership announced the winners of the 2021 Small Business Awards on Tuesday in person this year.

Greater Topeka Partnership and the Small Business Council recognized businesses for inclusiveness, innovation, and community work at the ceremony.

Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Council and GO Topeka’s Women & Minority Business Development Program held its 40th annual Small Business Awards to celebrate local businesses.

“Small business has been the staying power, the backbone of the community and we’re excited that we have this opportunity to celebrate them,” GO Topeka’s SVP of Entrepreneurial and Minority Business Development, Glenda Washington said. “This year is a special year because last year we did not get to do it. So this year brings out everybody. So as you can see the room is buzzing everybody is excited, I think just to be amongst each other.”

Winners were chosen from three finalists in six categories. Capper Foundation won Non-profit of Distinction.

Dialogue Coffee House topped the Emerging Entrepreneur Category, and Dare to Dream won the Minority-owned Business of Distinction award.

“We’re a small business and we’re probably the only one in our field to do event planning, wedding design, decor, corporate events, we do the whole gannet,” CEO of Dare to Dream Event Management, Cheryl Clark emphasized.

“So I’m really shocked to have been nominated and to win so we’re really excited about it. It’s extremely important, if we don’t acknowledge it, we won’t know that they’re here. Sometimes they get lost in the shuffle and some people aren’t driven enough to put themselves out there and work as hard as they can,” Clark added.

TLJ Consulting won the Women-owned Business of Distinction award and Evergy Plaza was the finalist in the Innovation award.

“It’s exciting, what a great honor. I will tell you what I’m thinking about, is all the people that contributed and who got on board to make this happen so it’s an award for many, many people,” Chairman of Downtown Topeka Foundation of Evergy Plaza, Pat Michaelis said. “During the hard times, if it’s pandemic or whatever, you have one goal survive and get through the bad times so you can get through the good times.”

In the final honor, Capital City Business of Distinction went to Dobski and Associates who are operators of the city’s McDonald’s restaurants.

You can find all the finalists along with the businesses who were nominated here.

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