You’ve had those nights — the ones where you’re answering emails long after you meant to stop, reviewing expenses, finishing client work, or trying to solve one more problem before bed. Running a business as a founder with a disability often means carrying every part of it yourself.

If you’re a founder, you’ll recognize this rhythm. 

The EDDIE Awards were created for entrepreneurs exactly like this. 

They spotlight entrepreneurs with disabilities who are building remarkable businesses: media companies that reshape storytelling, tech ventures solving real‑world problems, creative studios pushing culture forward, storefronts serving their communities, and one‑person operations growing into something bigger.

On April 15, 2027, founders and industry leaders will gather at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta for the only national awards event built exclusively for founders with disabilities and open to every kind of business — whether you’re scaling, bootstrapping, or building something new. 

Applications for the 2027 Awards are open now.

Every finalist receives round‑trip travel to Atlanta, national visibility, mentorship, business connections, and the chance to win $10,000. But what matters most is the room — a network of more than 250 leaders, investors, partners, and fellow founders who see your work and want to help it grow.

Past finalist Deshaymond Solomon, founder of Deshaymond Media LLC, describes what the experience unlocked:

“I wanted to own it. I wanted to show people that disabled people, blind people, deaf people, we can give ourselves a chance. This took that imposter syndrome away. Now I own every seat I sit in. Life after disability is not over. It’s a new beginning.”

That’s the possibility waiting for you.

Applications close November 30, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET.

Start your application today. Or, if an entrepreneur with a disability came to mind while you were reading this, send it to them. They may be the next founder to take the EDDIE stage.

Apply today.