New Ohio State graduate named SBA Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year for Ohio

“Levi Duncan, a new graduate of the Executive MBA program at The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business, received the award for Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year for Ohio at the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) awards ceremony last week. The SBA Ohio District Office held the Ohio Small Business Week and Lender Awards Celebration at the Fawcett Center on Ohio State’s Columbus campus in observance of 2026 National Small Business Week. The event, co-hosted by Fisher, included a keynote address by U.S. SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler and remarks by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose. Terry Bolden, director of the U.S. SBA Ohio District Office, presented the awards. Equipping students with the knowledge and skills to succeed is a cornerstone of Ohio State’s land-grant mission, said Fisher’s Interim Dean Aravind Chandrasekaran. “Ohio State is committed to driving the state’s workforce development and economic vitality,” he said. “At Fisher, that means preparing our ‘Business Buckeyes’ not only to succeed in established organizations, but to create, build and grow businesses of their own.” Chandrasekaran said Duncan exemplifies Fisher’s commitment to excellence. Duncan is the founder of the Liberty Remodeling Company in Springfield, Ohio. He spent 24 years in the military before retiring last autumn. “The Fisher community is beyond proud to see Levi honored with this award,” Chandrasekaran said. “His curiosity, passion for lifelong learning and entrepreneurial drive are hallmarks we seek to instill and foster in all of our students, regardless of where they’re at in their careers. This recognition showcases to others what we’ve long known about Levi ― that he’s a uniquely driven individual who is committed to making an impact in his community.” Duncan said he was honored to receive the veteran-owned business award the same week that he graduated with his MBA. “This recognition reflects not only the growth of Liberty Remodeling and our broader businesses, but also the support of the Springfield community, the SBA and Ohio State,” he said. “What makes this especially meaningful to me is the opportunity to build businesses that create jobs, strengthen communities, and modernize traditional industries through leadership, technology and innovation. We’re passionate about creating scalable systems that improve the customer experience while opening new opportunities within the skilled trades and small business space.” Small business owners like those who were recognized at the celebration drive America’s economy, Loeffler said. “We are making sure that small businesses lead this chapter of growth and opportunity. We do celebrate what America has been, but we really celebrate what it is becoming, always improving, becoming better, and that is led by the spirit of free enterprise,” she said. “To all small businesses, to the innovators, to the job creators, thank you for what you do. You make our communities work. You make our country strong.” Columbus is now home to the district office for the SBA’s Great Lakes region, and Ohio State hosted the first Small Business Week celebration in the capital city, Bolden said. The awardees are major contributors to the region’s economy, he said. “Right now, it’s rapid growth for our small businesses,” he said. “For me to serve in this position as the district director, it’s actually a humbling place to be because I get to see businesses grow, I get to see their challenges, and we get to kind of fill in the gaps to help them along the way.”

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