2023 · awards · inside small business ·Aug 24, 2023

Emily Ciardiello, Top 50 Small Business Leaders 2023 | Inside Small Business

It is with great pleasure that we release this year’s Top 50 Small Business Leaders Report. Now in its seventh year, the Report garners more and more submissions from an ever more diverse range of sectors every year.

In the report, that you can download by clicking here, you will meet our judges – Alita Harvey-Rodriguez, Dr Daniel Prior, Ellie Degraeve, Jacinta Plazzer and Nicole Davidson – to whom I’d like to express my immense gratitude for the time and effort they put into sorting through the large volume of high-quality submissions we received this year, and for coming up with such an inspirational Top 50. We also revisit one of last year’s winners; Emily Bobis has taken her IoT-based traffic management solution from strength to strength since featuring in the 2022 Report, and it’s great to be able to showcase the exciting developments for the business in the last 12 months.

Innovation and a focus on sustainability – Lydy’s reusable coffee cup lids, ethical clothing & homeware retailer BLAEK Store and apiarist & environmental steward Bee All Natural and Organic, and rescuer of armers’ ‘imperfect produce’ Good & Fugly are prime examples – are common themes among this year’s Top 50. There is also a focus on making a better future for our children, through from an early age at the StarKids Salon & Spa to their schooldays in the form of teachers’ platform Cleverbean, and our ‘furry friends’ are well represented – Shy Tiger and Laila and Me are among a number of our Top 50 catering to their needs. I am also delighted to introduce you to our youngest ever winner – the founder of diversity and inclusion enterprise Glossy Boys is just 14!

Thank you to Business Co Group and Etika Australia for their generous sponsorship of this year’s Top 50 Report and launch event. Thanks also to my colleague Karl Aguilar for his diligent assistance in the compilation of the profiles of this year’s small-business leaders. Enjoy reading about this year’s winners’ remarkable achievements by clicking here and the challenges they have overcome to get to where they are now.