2023 Top 50 Small Business Leaders revealed

It is with great pleasure that we release this year’s Top 50 Small Business Leaders Report. Now in its seventh year, the Report garners more and more submissions from an ever more diverse range of sectors every year.

In the report, that you can download by clicking here, you will meet our judges – Alita Harvey-Rodriguez, Dr Daniel Prior, Ellie Degraeve, Jacinta Plazzer and Nicole Davidson – to whom I’d like to express my immense gratitude for the time and effort they put into sorting through the large volume of high-quality submissions we received this year, and for coming up with such an inspirational Top 50. We also revisit one of last year’s winners; Emily Bobis has taken her IoT-based traffic management solution from strength to strength since featuring in the 2022 Report, and it’s great to be able to showcase the exciting developments for the business in the last 12 months.

Innovation and a focus on sustainability – Lydy’s reusable coffee cup lids, ethical clothing & homeware retailer BLAEK Store and apiarist & environmental steward Bee All Natural and Organic, and rescuer of armers’ ‘imperfect produce’ Good & Fugly are prime examples – are common themes among this year’s Top 50. There is also a focus on making a better future for our children, through from an early age at the StarKids Salon & Spa to their schooldays in the form of teachers’ platform Cleverbean, and our ‘furry friends’ are well represented – Shy Tiger and Laila and Me are among a number of our Top 50 catering to their needs. I am also delighted to introduce you to our youngest ever winner – the founder of diversity and inclusion enterprise Glossy Boys is just 14!     

Thank you to Business Co Group and Etika Australia for their generous sponsorship of this year’s Top 50 Report and launch event. Thanks also to my colleague Karl Aguilar for his diligent assistance in the compilation of the profiles of this year’s small-business leaders. Enjoy reading about this year’s winners’ remarkable achievements by clicking here and the challenges they have overcome to get to where they are now.

Australia’s 2023 Top 50 Small Business Leaders

Alice Needham, Wagalot Brands

Alina Hunter & Lucy Chambers, Cleverbean

Amber Boyers, Baiia

Andrew Herbert, remap.ai

Angelique Woodburn, The Midnight Gang

Angus Stevens, Start Beyond

Annette Densham, The Audacious Agency

April Booij, Fame Events Design

Bianca Tarrant, Our Cow

Brendan Sigvart, FundFindrs

Candice Kiss, Gather & Feast Café / Annie Lane Café

Cynthia Harris, Heart Talent

Danielle Johansen, Threadicated

Ellie McBride & Ella Worsley, The Enlighten Co

Emily Ciardiello, Foil Me

Florian Dieterle, Case & Pike Design

Gavin McCarthy, Wheelnutz Garage

Goro Gupta, Ethical Property Investments

Jacine Greenwood, Roccoco Botanicals

Jenn Donovan, Spend With Us

Karen Vickers, Auxilliam

Kristy Moore, Travel Moore

Kyah Seary, Happy Bum Co

Lauren Yehezkel, Lydy

Loredana Se Simone Rybka, San Elk

Louise Gilbert, The Intime Collective

Lucas Lane, Glossy Boys

Megan Patterson, Magical Megs

Melissa Deveraux, Laila and Me

Mike Erlin, AbilityMap

Mike Halligan, Scratch Pet Food

Molly Rogers Emma Clegg, JAM the label

Natasha Roebig, Bee All Natural and Organic

Nicole Rous, Shy Tiger

Nikki Ciancio, BLAEK Store

Nisha Ambwani, StarKids Salon & Spa

Radhika Mayani, Left-handesign

Raquel Manning, Blue Diamond Property Group

Rebekah Strachan, RBB Fitness Studio

Richard Tiurino, Good & Fugly

Robert Gaydon, Australian Fundraising Specialists

Rosanna Iacono, The Growth Ativists

Samantha Dybac, The PR Hub

Sarah Neill, Mys Tyler

Sarah Quinney & Dan O’Connell, Boardsox

Sarah Spence, Content Copywriting

Shannon Semenikow, Education and Migration Services Australia

Simon King, Carmel Distillery

Sonia Gibson, Accounting Heart

Vanessa Challacombe, Little Spurs & Co

You can click here to download the full report.