2025 Small Business Week Awards presented at UNF
The 33rd annual Small Business Week Celebration, hosted by the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of North Florida, took place last week on campus.
This year’s event featured Charlynda Scales, founder of Mutt’s Sauce and author of business empowerment book, “Rock Bottom Has a Trampoline.” In her keynote presentation, she shared her journey of reviving her specialty sauce company from zero cash flow to operational success. Scales is a sought-after speaker and mentor for small businesses and women's empowerment. She started Mutt’s Sauce while serving active duty in the military and is currently an Air Force reservist stationed at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.
Following the keynote presentation, the annual Small Business Week awards were presented, spotlighting outstanding contributions of North Florida business leaders and champions at the district level.
Clients and partners of the Florida SBDC Network recognized the following winners:
- North Florida District Small Business Person of the Year: Viv Helwig, owner of Vested Metals International in St. Augustine
- North Florida, State of Florida, and National 8(a) Graduate of the Year: Gina Hill, owner/president of G.M.Hill Engineering Inc. in Jacksonville
“Helping small businesses thrive is more than just support—it's a shared journey of resilience and dedication,” said Debbie Magyar, regional director of the Florida SBDC at UNF. “Seeing them achieve success is a testament to their hard work and our commitment to empowering dreams. Proud moments like these remind us why we do what we do.”
This event is presented by the Florida SBDC at UNF with support from VyStar Cedit Union.
For more than 60 years, National Small Business Week recognizes the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. As part of National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration takes the opportunity to highlight the impact of outstanding entrepreneurs, small business owners and others from all 50 states and U.S. territories.