SCORE Chester and Delaware Counties this week celebrated some of its clients during the organization’s annual Small Business Achievement Awards. This year, SCORE recognized four businesses, two from Chester County, one from Delaware County and one from Montgomery County.
This was the 15th year for the Small Business Achievement Awards, which were started in 2010 to recognize entrepreneurs who start or grow their businesses while working with SCORE, reaching out for mentoring from the organization and demonstrating vision, innovation and achievement.
The four entrepreneurs were recognized June 10 during an awards event at Penn Oaks Golf Club in Thornbury Township, Chester County, an event that celebrated “The Lifecyle of a Business.”
Recognized in front of 100 attendees were one start-up business, two growth businesses, and one established firm that is in transition, according to a press release. Each of the entrepreneurs continues to work closely with their SCORE mentor.
The 2025 Small Business Achievement award recipients were celebrated for their accomplishments, with each business at a different stage of business development.
“The startup phase is exciting, full of ideas and energy. As a business grows, it is building, hiring, gaining traction, and getting real in the marketplace,” Lisa Bussom, SCORE Mentor and Awards Program Leader, said of the business lifecycle concept. “During a transition of an established business, owners may find themselves planning an exit, handing off the business, or reinventing it.”
The organizations honored this year represent diverse backgrounds, various business models, and industries, according to SCORE.
Recognized by SCORE Chester and Delaware Counties for 2025 are:
• Nicole Anderson: founder, NAL Speakers Bureau, Downingtown, Chester County. Formed in 2020, just before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company connects organizations with speakers from around the world available to speak on a variety of topics. The organization also offers professional development programs for speakers and thought leaders. NAL Speakers Bureau is in the Growth Category.
www.score.org/chesterdelco/success-story/nal-speakers-bureau
• John Herman, founder: Thermal Sash Window & Door Systems, West Pikeland Township, Chester County. Formed in 1984, the company provides replacement windows, storm doors, entry doors, sliding doors and retractable awnings. Herman worked with SCORE to navigate the process of finding a buyer for the business. Thermal Sash Window & Door Systems is in the Transition (exit) Category.
https://www.score.org/chesterdelco/success-story/thermal-sash-window-door-systems
• Dr. Funke Afolabi-Brown, founder: Restful Sleep MD, Horsham Township, Montgomery County. Formed in 2021, the company is dedicated to helping adults and children overcome sleep challenges with personalized, science-backed care. Restful Sleep MD is in the Growth Category.
https://www.score.org/chesterdelco/success-story/restful-sleep-md
• Joanna Cervantez, owner/founder: A Fuller Education, Bethel Township, Delaware County. Formed in 2024, the company is a “microschool,” providing a hands-on learning environment where students can “explore, create and discover.” A Fuller Education is in the Start-Up Category.
www.score.org/chesterdelco/success-story/a-fuller-education-llc
The 2025 award winners were selected from a group of clients who were nominated by their SCORE mentors. Each business case was reviewed by a volunteer team to assess the mission, unique value proposition, path to success, how SCORE mentoring helped, and an update on the business’ progress today, according to the release.
Keynote speaker for the event was Seta MacCrory, CEO and founder of SubstiToothFairy Dental Staffing Service, a 2017 SCORE Small Business Achievement award winner and current SCORE mentor.
“The focus of the keynote was to dig into the life cycle of business and highlight it in a way that everyone in that room could feel the transformation of each cycle to a deeper level, but also shine a spotlight on the amazing Award winners of 2025,” MacCrory shared in an emailed response.
SubstiToothFairy provides permanent and temporary staffing of dental professionals in the greater Philadelphia region, including Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey. The company’s headquarters is in Delaware.
MacCrory has been a SCORE mentor since fall 2024. https://www.score.org/chesterdelco/profile/seta-maccrory
“My role is coaching the entrepreneur. I have the ability to hone in on pain points of an entrepreneur and help them overcome these hurdles. In my short experience of being a mentor, as I joined in fall 2024, I’ve realized that most entrepreneurs need someone cheering them on, unbiasedly, and holding them accountable.”
SCORE is a network of volunteer business experts dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals.
Operating since 1985, SCORE Chester and Delaware Counties has a team of 100 volunteers providing confidential mentoring at no charge. To find a SCORE mentor, visit score.org/chesterdelco/local-mentors.
