Laundry Business Owner Wins Small Biz Challenge

SAN DIEGO — Hyacinth Tucker, CEO and founder of The Laundry Basket, is the 2026 champion of The UPS Store Small Biz Challenge.

The six-week competition, hosted by The UPS Store and media brand Inc., concluded with an electrifying finale in Nashville, Tennessee, where Tucker’s innovative approach to the laundry industry earned her $25,000 and an upcoming editorial feature in Inc. magazine.

The Laundry Basket is built on one main belief: that people deserve their time back. The subscription-based laundry and drycleaning delivery service picks up customers’ clothes from their doorstep, professionally washes, dries and folds them, and returns within 48 hours. Founded in 2022, Tucker’s company serves regions including Maryland; Washington, D.C.; parts of Virginia and Ohio; and Toronto, Canada.

Since it began in 2018, The UPS Store Small Biz Challenge has grown as a nationwide program that encourages and strengthens up-and-coming small businesses. This year’s iteration attracted nearly 6,000 entries, with nine semifinalists navigating rigorous business scenarios with help from three expert small-business mentors — Tori Dunlap, Isaac Hetzroni and Julissa Prado — who tested their resilience and ingenuity.

The semifinalists received personalized coaching while tackling real-world challenges spanning brand strategy, market positioning and operational execution. After a public voting phase, Tucker advanced to the final event where she and two other competitors delivered a pitch before a distinguished panel of judges and a captivated audience.

“Taking home The UPS Store Small Biz Challenge award represents so much more than recognition — it’s a catalyst that will transform my business,” Tucker says. “The three mentors became the strategic partners I needed, stretching me beyond my comfort zone to build and showcase key stills, and competing with fellow founders elevated my perspective in ways I couldn’t have imagined.”

The platform, resources and network she’s gained will drive the next phase of her business, she adds.

Runner-up finalists Laura Nolen of High Strung Racquets LLC and Andrew Tyree Clinkscale of Portion LLC each secured $5,000 awards.

“The caliber of small-business owners competing in 2026 reflects the dynamic innovation reshaping American commerce,” says Michelle Van Slyke, senior vice president of marketing and sales at The UPS Store Inc. “Hyacinth, Andrew and Laura represent the ‘changemakers’ who drive our economy forward. Celebrating their achievements is celebrating the future of entrepreneurship itself.”