Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney will laud the achievements of Irish American entrepreneurs when he addresses small business owners from across the nation at the Irish Small Business-Big Impact 50 Awards next month.

Earmarked for the Union League of Philadelphia on 18 May, the inaugural awards will bring together small businesses from a dizzying range of fields, ranging from a winery owner to a hotelier and from an energy health bar producer to a Capitol Hill broadcast network founder.

The brainchild of the well-established Irish American Business Chamber and Network of Philadelphia and the Irish Echo newspaper, the awards are being backed by MRP  — which boasts offices in Philly and Belfast — Údarás na Gaeltachta, WaWa, and the region's premier radio station KYW.

Also rowing in behind the initiative is the Small Business Development Center of New Jersey.  "America's SBDC New Jersey and the SBDC at Ramapo College of New Jersey is glad to co-sponsor the Irish Small Business program," said Vincent Vicari, regional center director at Ramapo's SBDC. "We also welcome regional center representation from the Pennsylvania statewide SBDC network. The event offers a great venue for educating others about the service of America's SBDC national program and our statewide SBDCs as well as international trade and export opportunities."

The fab 50 to be honored at the Union League extravaganza on 18 May are:

Peter Barton, Mobilease Modular Space Inc

J Bruce Boucher, Boucher Brothers LLC

Ed Brennan, The Brennan Collective

Shannon Breuer, Wiley Group

Kathleen Brunner, Acumen Analytic

Joseph Callahan, Ciright,

Maggie Calpin, Nibbles & Bits

Seamus Canning, Canning Electric

Fergus Carey, Fergies bar

Keith Carney, Founder of FedNet

Christine Carroll, Crossing Vineyards & Winery Inc

Brian & Jennifer Cleary, McKennas Irish Kitchen

Lisa Marie Clinton, Avail,

Thomas S Coffey, United Floral Service Inc

Robert Connolly, BC Compliance Group

Kevin Connor, Modern Strategic Branding & Comm

Dan Cronin, Chorus Communications LLC.

Mike Daley, OrthogenRX Inc

Kevin Duffy, Sullivan Engineering LLC

Peter Farrell, CityInterests LLC

Anita Finnegan, Novaleah.com

Noel Fleming, Conley Fleming LLP

Damien Given, Sona Pub & Kitchen

Jack Glacken, TGI - Todays Graphics Inc

John Graf, The Proiry Hospitality Group

Colm Grealy, AdForce.com

Maureen Kelly, Knights Catering

John Kelly, Blue Water Manor

Ronald C Kerins, Jr, Greyhawk,

Helen Lennon, Secure Broadcast

Jim Logue, ThermOmegaTech, Inc

Sean Magee, CEO of Anchor

Gavin McCloskey, Nourish Snacks

Matthew McCloskey IV, McCloskey Financial Group

Jim, McCullough Mechanical Solutions Associates LLC

Norbert, McGettigan Jr, Impact Dimensions

Hugh McGrory, Datavized Technologies

David McLaughlin, QuantaVerse

Enda McShane, Velocity,

Robert Mendte, Service Network Design

Gerry Moan, SmartInvest Ventures

Matthew Moroney, Goldberg, Miller & Rubin

Paul Murtagh, Murtagh Brothers, Inc

Dennis O'Neill, Beacon Consulting Group

Mary Ann Pierce, Map Digital

Erin Reilly, Pop! Promos

Kate Shields, Vault Communications

Susan Stipa, McDay LLC

Ed Sullivan, Trust Exchange

Shawn Swords, Irish American Films

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