32nd Annual Small Business Week Celebration

Help us to honor North Florida’s Small Business Leaders, Champions and Top Lenders at the 32nd Annual Small Business Week Celebration!

Join us on May 10th at UNF and network with North Florida’s small business leaders, lenders and supporters as the U.S. Small Business Administration presents the Small Business Week Awards and Top Lender Awards! In recognition of the small business community’s contribution to the economy and society, the U.S. SBA, in conjunction with the FSBDC at UNF, will host this special event to honor and present awards to local entrepreneurs and those who support and advocate for small businesses.

9:30am-10:45am | Leadership Workshop ” Permission to Screw Up”

(Only those who purchase the “Workshop & Luncheon” package are eligible to attend this session or as part of the bigger sponsorship packages)

Presented by keynote, Kristen Hadeed

Perfection is unattainable. So as leaders, why do we feel pressure to have it all together? In this workshop, Kristen will urge you to strive for your natural best rather than perfection. You’ll learn how to create an environment in your business where failure is seen as growth, where you take risks, and where you collaborate and innovate for the future.

11:30am-1:30pm | Small Business Week Luncheon

Network with over 300 of North Florida’s small business leaders, lenders and supporters as the U.S. SBA presents the Small Business Week Awards and Top Lender Awards! This year marks 32 years that the U.S. SBA, in conjunction with the FSBDC at UNF, will host this special event at the local level to honor and present awards to local entrepreneurs and those who support and advocate for small businesses.

Keynote Presentation: Igniting Human Leadership presented by Kristen Hadeed

In this keynote, Kristen will challenge the traditional leadership and business approaches that are no longer working, and she will share her vision of human leadership. You’ll learn actionable steps to build the best version of your business yet.

Meet the keynote: Kristen Hadeed

At 19, with hardly any leadership experience, Kristen started a cleaning business, Student Maid, as a way to earn money while she was in college at University of Florida. But before she graduated, her company received a huge contract —and it changed her path forever. It was during this time of growth she also became an SBDC client! Over the next 14 years, Kristen took Student Maid from a small company to a business known on a global scale for its culture of belonging, its focus on people, and its purpose of building leaders. Today, Kristen spends her time helping leaders, teams, and organizations around the world embrace their humanity.