The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce is now accepting nominations for the 2026 Emerging Entrepreneur Award. The award was created in 2024 with the purpose of encouraging new growth in the local economy and rewarding ambitious newcomers for taking risks. The award will be presented at the Chamber’s Annual Membership Meeting & Dinner on June 4, 2026.
An emerging entrepreneur is someone with the ability to identify new business opportunities and act on these opportunities to bring a business venture to life. Emerging entrepreneurs are inspired by all the exciting opportunities available to them and a willingness to take risks to build, launch, and grow their business. They must be able to adapt to changing circumstances in their business, overcome obstacles, and access opportunities to develop their business further. An emerging entrepreneur must also be able to pitch their ideas, sell their product or service to customers, and build a team of employees, mentors, or supporters to assist them along their journey.
The criteria for nomination include the following:
- Target range of nominees is 20-40 years old
- Business in operation for 2 or more consecutive years
- Nominee must be a member of the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce
The Garrett County Diplomats Committee will choose 3 finalists from the pool of nominees and present them to the Board with a recommended winner. Then the Chamber Board of Directors will choose the winner. The winner of the award is announced during the Annual Membership Meeting & Dinner on Thursday, June 4, 2026. Previous recipients of the Emerging Entrepreneur Award include Ben Riegsecker (The Casselman Inn & Restaurant, The Casselman Bakery and Café, Casselman Market, Casselman Creamery, etc.) and Devin Callis (3rd Street Diner, Oak-Mar Motel, Oakland Motel, and Callis Enterprise).
To obtain a Nomination Form, please contact Nick Sharps at 301.387.8745 or by email at nick@garrettchamber.com or download the form at visitdeepcreek.com/awards.
All nominations must be returned to the Chamber by the close of Business on Friday, March 6, 2026. The winner will not be announced until the Annual Membership Meeting & Dinner on June 4, 2026.
The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce is the largest professional business association in the region, with 500 members representing every industry in the community. The mission of the Chamber is to organize, support, and represent Garrett County’s business community in advancing common interests, and additionally to promote Garrett County’s hospitality and recreation industry by attracting visitors to the county through comprehensive marketing. The Garrett County Chamber also serves as the Destination Marketing Organization and Heritage Area Management entity for the County.
For more information about the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce, please log onto www.visitdeepcreek.com or call 301.387.4386.
