The first ten companies named as honorees at the 2019 Irish American Small Business-Big Impact Awards demonstrate the strength and the breadth of Irish American entrepreneurship

Traditional and high-tech companies will be feted side-by-side at a gala dinner in the prestigious Seaport Hotel, in Boston, on May 3, 2019. Guests of honor will include the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce President James E. Rooney.

"We are delighted to have a caterer, a construction company and a chain of Irish bars among our nominees but we're equally proud to boast a crypto-currency start-up and a financial tech services firm," says Connla McCann, publisher of awards' hosts the Irish Echo.

"Our honorees represent the spirit of endeavor and enterprise which is the hallmark of the Irish American small business community and with nominations still open, I know our panel of judges will be hard-pressed to select winners in a number of categories including Irish American company of the Year and Fastest-Growing Company."

The Irish Small Business-Big Impact awards were born in Philadelphia last year where the pioneering Irish American Business Chamber and Network partnered the initiative. 

The first ten companies to be unveiled as 2019 Irish American Small Business-Big Impact Awards honorees are:

Fenagh Engineering and Testing of Boston.

- Plant-based food ambassadors Strong Roots of Ireland and now the US

- Custom house builders Duce Construction Company of New York

- Irish American entrepreneur Dan Healy, COO of Mobile product company Prolific Interactive of Brooklyn

Chateau O'Brien winery in Virginia founded in 2005 by Howard O'Brien

- Stephen Flanagan of Shadowman Sports in San Francisco and Limerick which manufactures sporting products which decrease risk in practice. 

- Crypto-currency early-stage company ndau.io

-  Kathleen Maguire and Christine Bailey of boutique real estate firm First Contact NYC

- Hand-crafted artisan food catering company Chrystal Catering of Youngstown, Ohio 

- Dublin-headquartered life-sciences company CalOpEx which has expanded into the Philadelphia market.

Enter your own nomination for the Irish American Small Business-Big Impact Awards

Nominations are still open for the Awards at the Irish Echo website

Nominated companies must have five or more people but less than 100 and be led by an Irish American businessperson.

Nominees will have displayed entrepreneurial can-do to make their enterprises stand out in their field. While representing myriad sectors, they will share a common commitment to business excellence and pride in their Irish heritage.

This article was submitted to the IrishCentral contributors network by a member of the global Irish community. To become an IrishCentral contributor click here.