Statement by Owner/Chef Aneesa T. Waheed, Tara Kitchen

“I am honored to receive the Small Business Person of the Year Award. I share this with the community, my team and a staggering number of New York agencies that have supported me in my career and continue to support the growth of the Tara Kitchen brand.  Beginning with Schenectady Metroplex, who assisted with the development of our first restaurant in Schenectady over a decade ago, I thank the City of Schenectady, Downtown Schenectady Improvement Corp, Empire State Development, New York Small Business Development Center, PURSUIT, SCORE, NYC Small Business Service, Women Entrepreneurs NYC, Troy Business Improvement District, SCORE, PURSUIT and my banking partners at Bank of America, and Capital Bank.  I also thank my vendor partners Sysco, Vann’s Spices, Morgan Linen, V.O.S, ELENTY, Southern Glazers and numerous other mentors who have helped along the way including Kathryn Bamberger, Keri Pratico, James Hundt, County Legislator Richard Ruzzo, Assemblymember Angelo Santabarbara, Congressman Paul Tonko. It also goes without saying none of it would be possible without the help and support of my amazing family.

Background

First opened in Schenectady in 2012, Tara Kitchen operates six restaurants across New York, New Jersey, and in India.  Tara Kitchen’s sauces and spices are available in local stores and supermarkets across the northeast and can be purchased online from tarakitchen.com.

Chef Aneesa Waheed put her stamp on Moroccan cuisine when she fell in love with it during a life-changing trip to Marrakech. Her mastery of sweet and savory flavors and inventive take on Moroccan cuisine has brought her considerable acclaim: She’s earned her spot in Albany Business 40 Under 40, Rising Star Chef, Women who mean Business Award, ICCR Business and Entrepreneurship award, New York State Assembly Women of Distinction etc. and has been featured in several Food TV Network shows including Beat Bobby Flay, Kitchen Crasher’s and Guy Fieri’s Grocery Games.

SBA Administrator Guzman Announces 2024 National Small Business Week Award Winners

Awardees from All 50 States, DC, Guam, and Puerto Rico to be Honored April 28-29 in Washington, D.C.

Published on March 7, 2024

WASHINGTON – Today, SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, the voice in President Biden’s Cabinet for America’s more than 33 million small businesses, announced the National Small Business Week (NSBW) 2024 Award Winners, comprised of business owners, lending partners, and advocates who embody the grit and determination that power our nation’s economy and ensure disaster-impacted communities can recover. This year’s NSBW will take place April 28-May 4, 2024.

“Our 2024 National Small Business Week award winners exemplify excellence, innovation, and commitment, and the SBA is proud to showcase their incredible achievements and impact on their communities and our economy,” said Administrator Guzman. “Under the Biden-Harris Administration, more Americans than ever before are pursuing the American dream of business ownership and able to access more opportunities, with historic investments in communities across America in local infrastructure, broadband, manufacturing, innovation, and clean energy. National Small Business Week is the nation’s opportunity to lift up the amazing entrepreneurs, small business advocates, local partners, advisors, lenders, and investors who support America’s entrepreneurial spirit and the historic Biden-Harris Small Business Boom.”

The NSBW Award Ceremonies will take place April 28 – 29, 2024 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Washington, D.C.​, where Administrator Guzman will recognize the national award winners and individual state winners, and also announce the top honor of National Small Business Person of the Year from among the individual state winners. Administrator Guzman will then launch a roadshow tour from April 30 – May 3, 2024, which will bring her to Manchester, N.H., Milwaukee, Wis., Denver, Colo., and Billings, Mont., where she will be joined by local leaders to honor award-winning small businesses and discuss SBA initiatives and opportunities for the small business community. The week-long National Small Business Week celebration will also feature a virtual summit co-hosted by SCORE, mentors to America’s small businesses

2024 State Small Business Persons of the Year:

In addition to state-level recognition, national awards will also be presented in the following categories to the following:

Small Business Exporter of the Year: 

• Spectrum International Group, LLC, Atlanta, GA

Phoenix Awards for Disaster Recovery: 

• Phoenix Award for Small Business Disaster Recovery: The Coffee Shoppe, Selma, AL
• Phoenix Award for Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery, Public Official: Dirk Joseph Guidry, Chauvin, LA
• Phoenix Award for Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery, Volunteer: Leanne Rogers Lovell, Wynne, AR

Federal Procurement Awards: 

• Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year: Action Manufacturing Company, Bristol, PA
• Small Business Subcontractor of the Year: Knowledge Based Systems, Inc., College Station, TX
• Dwight D. Eisenhower Awards for Excellence – Services (for large prime contractors who use small businesses as suppliers and contractors): Jacobs, Greenwood Village, CO
• Dwight D. Eisenhower Awards for Excellence – Construction (for large prime contractors who use small businesses as suppliers and contractors): Bechtel Corporation, New York, NY
• 8(a) Graduate of the Year: Johnson’s Consulting dba Cetechs, Mesa, AZ

Awards to SBA Resource Partners: 

• SCORE Chapter of the Year Award: SCORE SE Wisconsin Chapter, Milwaukee, WI
• Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Excellence and Innovation Center Award: Aurora-South Metro Small Business Development Center, Aurora, CO
• Women’s Business Center of Excellence Award: Great Lakes Women’s Business Council, Southfield, MI
• Veterans Business Outreach Center of the Year: Mississippi State University VBOC, Starkville, MS

Small Business Investment Company of the Year: 

• Emerging Manager:  Mizzen Capital, LP, Stamford, CT
• Established Manager:  Argosy Private Equity, Wayne, PA

Surety Bond Agent of the Year: 

• KOG International, Inc., Enola, PA

For more information about National Small Business Week, visit www.sba.gov/NSBW. Media interested in scheduling interviews with Administrator Guzman should contact press_office@sba.gov.

Cosponsorship Authorization # 24-1-C. SBA’s participation in this Cosponsored Activity is not an endorsement of the views, opinions, products or services of any Cosponsor or other person or entity. All SBA programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.

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For additional National Small Business Week information visit www.sba.gov/NSBW.

About National Small Business Week

In the spirit of National Small Business Week, we celebrate the unprecedented growth of entrepreneurship in the United States, marked by 16 million new business applications since the Biden-Harris Administration took office. This surge highlights the dynamism and innovation that America’s entrepreneurs bring to our local communities. The SBA will continue to champion the endeavors of small businesses and the vital role they play in driving economic prosperity across the nation.

About SCORE

SCORE, the nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors, is dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow, and achieve their goals. Since 1964, SCORE has provided education and mentorship to more than 11 million entrepreneurs. SCORE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

About the U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

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