Eighteen entrepreneurs and businesses across the Pikes Peak region were recognized and six honored as winners of the 2026 Small Business Awards on Monday evening in a kickoff celebration and awards presentation that marked the official start to Small Business Week.

Held at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, the 2026 Small Business Awards ceremony spotlighted outstanding businesspeople and businesses in six categories.

Officials received nearly 100 nominations and 68 applications for this year’s Small Business Awards.

“This year’s response from the community has been incredible,” Jonathan Liebert, chief executive officer of the Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado, said in an April 22 news release. “To receive nearly 100 nominations and 68 applications is a powerful reminder of how many exceptional small businesses and leaders are making an impact across our region. These finalists represent the very best of the entrepreneurial spirit in Southern Colorado….”

Winners are as follows:

Young Entrepreneur of the Year: Logan Bryson, LINE-X of Colorado Springs. Touting itself as a “one stop shop for full vehicle customization,” the locally owned franchise of LINE-X truck bedliners and protective coatings offers a broad range of signature spray bedliners, truck accessories and other services. Early last month, Bryson was named Business Person of the Year by the Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce at its annual awards dinner.

Small Business Person of the Year: Jackie Lujan, The Lighthouse Early Care and Education. Lujan founded the day care center in January 2021 with a “commitment to ensuring families have access to safe, reliable care,” according to her LinkedIn profile. Driven by the “devastating economic impacts of the ongoing child care crisis in our nation,” Lujan is collaborating “with elected officials and local organizations to break down barriers in early childhood education,” her profile states.

Small Business Champion of the Year: Beth Taylor, Colorado APEX Accelerator. As executive director, Taylor leads a statewide initiative that helps Colorado businesses compete for and win government contracts at the local, state and federal levels, her LinkedIn profile page states. She has previously worked as the vice president of economic development for the Colorado Springs Chamber & Economic Development Corp., as an appointed business development manager for Colorado’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade, and has more than 15 years’ experience in the medical and pharmaceutical industries managing multi-million-dollar portfolios, according to her employee profile on the Colorado Apex Accelerator website.

Family-Owned Small Business of the Year: Bob Penkhus. The family-owned Bob Penkhus Motor Co., led by owner and President Bob Penkhus, has served Colorado Springs and its surrounding communities since 1951. The company sells a wide selection of new and used Volkswagen, Mazda and Volvo vehicles across four locations in Colorado Springs.

Micro Business of the Year: Financial Talent Group. Led by founder and President Melissa Scruggs, this women-owned professional staffing firm specializes in accounting, finance, banking, human resources and executive placements across the Front Range, its website states. Scruggs founded the company to provide better solutions for job-seekers and organizations alike.

Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year: Valor Archery Challenge. Led by founder and Chief Executive Officer Sam Westfall, an Army veteran and lifelong hunter, Valor Archery Challenge offers military servicemembers, veterans and their families a therapeutic, 3D archery experience “where veterans can find peer support, families can bond and beginners can discover a new passion.”

Small Business Week runs through Friday, with events scheduled across the region throughout the week. Tickets are $25 for each event or $100 for a weeklong pass.

For more information, visit pikespeaksbw.com.