SBA Names Connecticut’s Small Business Person of the Year

Derek Ezovski, president of West Hartford-based Outsourced Risk Management Solutions, has been named Connecticut’s 2026 Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The SBA Connecticut District Office announced Ezovski and the other 2026 Connecticut Small Business Week Award Winners March 27.

“This year’s award winners embody the determination and innovation it takes to succeed in pursuing the American Dream,” said SBA Connecticut District director Catherine Marx.

ORMS helps lenders and financial institutions nationwide manage environmental property risk and due diligence for commercial real estate.

American Dream

Ezovski said the company works to help lenders “provide small businesses loans to fuel their American Dream.”

“While my name is noted below, this is a team award and our whole ORMS team has contributed to our overall success,” he said in a LinkedIn post.

“This is a team award and our whole ORMS team has contributed to our overall success.”

ORMS’s Derek Ezovski

Ezovski is among seven 2026 Connecticut Small Business Week award winners representing a range of categories and industries.

“The entrepreneurs, innovators, and job creators on this list represent more than just small business owners,” said CBIA president and CEO Chris DiPentima.

“They set a standard of excellence and reflect the very best of Connecticut’s small business community. As the land of small business, these award winners are leading the way—driving opportunity and growth across our state.”

Award Winners

The awardees include:

• Manufacturer of the Year: Douglas Johnson, Marion Manufacturing, Cheshire
• Exporter of the Year: Yoganandan Tharanibalan, Novel Aero, Wallingford
• Microenterprise of the Year: Troy Anthony Forster, Troy Anthony, Hartford
• Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year: Paul E. Mayer, The Schegg Group, Trumbull
• Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year: Megan Searfoss, CT RUN Co., Ridgefield
• Young Entrepreneur of the Year: Timothy Joseph Noel-Sullivan, Hartford Film Co., Hartford

“From our farms and factory floors to the frontiers of technology, our local small business owners are working hard every day to drive innovation, strengthen local economies, and provide the products and services that keep America competitive, secure, and strong,” said SBA New England regional administrator Peter Steele.

“Whether they are one-person operations or companies with hundreds of employees, these small businesses contribute to our local, regional, and national economy, create good-paying jobs for our friends and families, and enhance the vitality of our Main Streets and communities.” 

The SBA will honor the award winners at the National Small Business Week SBA Awards & Resource Expo.

The May 6 event at the Bristol Event Center is a collaboration between CBIA and the SBA Connecticut District Office.