The Zoom Solopreneur 50 recognizes and supports the most innovative, independent business builders redefining work, creativity, and impact in today’s economy.
The Zoom Solopreneur 50 (ZSP50) is a first-of-its-kind recognition program spotlighting the individuals proving what a business of one can achieve. These honorees are innovators who combine technology, creativity, and conviction to build resilient, high-impact ventures entirely on their own.
Selected by a distinguished jury of business leaders, academics, and innovators, the ZSP50 will form a national index of excellence — recognizing the builders and thinkers turning ideas into impact, one person at a time.
Solopreneurs are transforming the global economy, and we believe the first solo-built unicorn isn’t far off. Every day, millions of individuals are turning their skills, creativity, and conviction into businesses built entirely on their own terms.
At Zoom, our mission is to empower these builders with the tools, visibility, and community they need to grow.
The ZSP50 marks the beginning of a new movement — one that recognizes the courage, originality, and influence of today’s solo business leaders and connects them with opportunities to expand their reach.
Recognition as one of the 50 most inspiring solopreneurs in America is just the beginning.Honorees will also gain:
Spotlight across Zoom’s digital platforms, media partners, and content ecosystem.
Access to peers, mentors, and experts shaping the future of entrepreneurship.
Support through Zoom technology, collaboration opportunities, and growth tools.
Zoom has committed $150,000 to be distributed to the Top-5 honorees to accelerate their ventures. That short list will be announced after all 50 and at a launch event.
We’re seeking individuals who embody the spirit of independence, innovation, and impact — entrepreneurs operating on their own, without full-time employees, across sectors including:
A solopreneur may be a content creator, inventor, consultant, coach, or independent designer — anyone building a business of one with big ambition.
For this program, the solopreneur should be the only full-time employee in their operations, though working with contractors or partners is absolutely welcomed.
Nominees will be evaluated by the ZSP50 jury across five key dimensions:
CMO, Zoom
Kimberly Storin is a marketing and communications leader known for transforming brands and driving sustainable growth. She serves as Zoom’s chief marketing officer and oversees the brand, communications, product marketing, enterprise marketing and regional marketing teams.
Kim joined Zoom in 2025 from Zayo, she was the chief marketing and communications officer and built the company’s first-ever marketing function, elevated its brand reputation, integrated three acquisitions, and contributed to three consecutive years of bookings and revenue growth. Prior to Zayo, Kim held marketing leadership roles at a variety of tech companies, from SaaS start-up to Fortune 50, and was an M&A consultant at Deloitte earlier in her career. Kimberly serves as Chair of the Women’s Fund for the Austin Community Foundation and is also a founding member of the Austin chapter of Women in Revenue.
She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management Information Systems from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business.
Global SMB Advisor, Zoom (“Chief Solo Officer”)
Lisa is a builder and operator with more than 20 years of experience building and scaling businesses across startups and established organizations. As Global SMB Advisor at Zoom, she focuses on how small businesses and solopreneurs adopt AI and digital tools to drive clarity, efficiency, and growth.
Carnegie Mellon University, Tepper School of Business
Anita Williams Woolley is a Professor of Organizational Behavior at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. Dr. Woolley received her doctorate in organizational behavior from Harvard University, and her research includes seminal work on collective intelligence in teams, first published in Science in 2010. Her current work focuses on collective intelligence in human-computer collaboration, with projects funded by DARPA and the NSF focused on how AI enhances synchronous and asynchronous collaboration in distributed teams. Professor Woolley is a Senior Editor at Organization Science and a founding Associate Editor of Collective Intelligence.
COO, Capital Department
Selma brings experience leading marketing and communications at Fortune 500 companies. She holds a BA in Economics and French from Cornell University and an MBA from the University of Oxford, where she was a Saïd Foundation Scholar and Chair of the Oxford Business Network for Entrepreneurship.
SVP, GM of Marketplace, Upwork
Dave Bottoms is SVP, GM of Marketplace at Upwork. He leads Upwork's Marketplace business unit, a global team responsible for the Talent Marketplace, Search & Recommendations, Ads & Monetization, native Mobile experiences, new product innovation, including Product, Engineering and Design. Dave brings more than 20 years of experience in Silicon Valley to Upwork. He joined the company in 2022 from Meta, where he led the Ads Manager Platform and Experiences team responsible for the flagship enterprise product used by millions of small businesses and global advertisers to drive valuable outcomes across Facebook and Instagram. Prior to Meta, Dave led the Growth team at Dropbox; prior to that he led multiple teams at Yahoo, including global Homepages, Yahoo News, Yahoo Sports, International expansion. Dave holds a BA in English literature from Denison University.
CLOSED
Happening Now!
Q2 2026
Thank you to everyone who applied or submitted a nomination.
We’re currently reviewing submissions and will share updates soon.
We plan to publicly announce the Solopreneur 50 in Q2, with more details to come. Participants will hear from us as the program progresses, and we encourage you to check back here for updates.
A national recognition program celebrating 50 of the most innovative, independent business builders operating solo across the U.S.
Anyone running and growing a business entirely on their own — with no full-time employees — including creators, consultants, inventors, educators, and digital entrepreneurs.
You’ll complete a short online form with key details about the nominee, their business, and their impact.
Honorees will join the inaugural ZSP50 group, gaining national visibility, access to a peer network, and eligibility for future collaborations with Zoom and its partners.
Yes. The Top 5 honorees will receive financial grants to further their ventures, alongside continued visibility and support through Zoom’s ecosystem.
The program welcomes applicants from 12 categories, including technology, creative and design, consulting, education, wellness, media, and social impact sectors.
A jury of experts from Zoom, academia, entrepreneurship, and related industries will review nominations and select honorees based on defined criteria.
Judging focuses on originality, financial performance, impact, authenticity, and influence. Not all applicants must meet every criterion, but alignment with several strengthens consideration.
No. Nominations are free to submit.
The honorees will be featured across Zoom’s digital platforms and will become part of a growing network that informs a broader initiative launching in 2026.
At this time, the program is open to U.S.-based solopreneurs only. Applicants must be operating primarily within the United States.
No. While many applicants may already use Zoom tools, usage is not a requirement for nomination or selection.
No. Nomination details are used solely for evaluation purposes. They may be reviewed by the Zoom Solopreneur 50 team and jury panel. If selected honorees will have the opportunity to review information for accuracy before publication.
Honorees may be invited to share their stories in Zoom program information or materials. Standard marketing permissions will be requested for use across Zoom’s channels.
Zoom’s mission has always been to connect people and enable new ways of working. With the ZSP50, we’re celebrating the innovators who embody that mission — running their entire business on connection, creativity, and courage.
Join us in recognizing the individuals who, on their own, are building what’s next.
If you have any questions, email us at solo@zoom.com.