Louisville, KY / Washington, D.C. — The New American Business Association (NABA) and Louisville Beauty Academy (LBA) announce that Di Tran, founder of both organizations, has been named a 2025 finalist for the National Small Business Association’s (NSBA) Lew Shattuck Small Business Advocate of the Year Award. As the Kentucky finalist, Tran joins a select group of national small-business leaders in Washington to advance practical, nonpartisan solutions for Main Street.
“This honor belongs to our students, graduates, and every small business that keeps America working,” Tran said. “We’re here to champion outcomes—training that leads to licenses, jobs, and new businesses—without unnecessary debt.”
Who is NSBA?
Founded in 1937, the National Small Business Association is the nation’s original, proudly nonpartisan small-business advocacy organization. NSBA represents 65,000+ members across all 50 states and speaks for the 70 million owners and employees who power the U.S. economy. NSBA is known for winning access-to-capital reforms, stopping unfair tax penalties, and rolling back harmful regulations—guided by respected Economic Reports and targeted member surveys.
Leadership (select): Todd McCracken (President & CEO), Molly Brogan Day (SVP, Public Affairs), Reed Westcott (Gov. Affairs & Federal Policy), Rachel Grey (Research & Regulatory Policy), Jack Furth (Gov. Affairs), Son Thach (Sr. Director, Operations), Ian Elsenbach (Director, Leadership Council).
About the Award
NSBA’s Lew Shattuck Small Business Advocate of the Year honors citizen-leaders who sustain credible, effective advocacy. Finalists are recognized at NSBA’s Washington Presentation—a two-day program including a White House policy briefing, Congressional Breakfast, issue briefings, and Capitol Hill meetings with Senators and Representatives. (NSBA does not publicly disclose the number of applicants.)
Di Tran & Louisville Beauty Academy: From Local Impact to National Voice
An immigrant entrepreneur, educator, and author of 120+ books, Di Tran founded Louisville Beauty Academy to create fast, affordable, ethical pathways into high-demand beauty careers. In five+ years, LBA has:
- Helped ~2,000 students complete training and obtain state licenses
- Seeded dozens of salons and micro-businesses, generating an estimated $20–50M in annual economic activity
- Run lean, discount-first, debt-averse programs that keep students working and learning—without relying on Title IV
- Embedded technology and AI-assisted workflows to streamline instruction, compliance, and student support
Tran’s policy focus—developed with education partner Anthony Bieda—is simple and powerful: pay for outcomes, not enrollment. Under this approach, federal support would reimburse after students graduate, earn a license, and secure employment. The model expands access to short, job-ready programs (often <600 hours), reduces taxpayer waste, and aligns schools, lenders, families, and students around one goal: results.
Why It Matters—For Kentucky and the Vietnamese-American Community
- Workforce now: Short programs (e.g., nails, esthetics) place graduates into jobs quickly—meeting real salon demand.
- Small-business growth: LBA alumni open shops, hire neighbors, and revitalize corridors—Main Street first.
- Smart funding: Outcome-based aid protects taxpayers and rewards schools that deliver licenses + jobs.
- Representation: A Kentucky and Vietnamese-American founder standing alongside national peers shows how immigrant entrepreneurship strengthens the U.S. economy.
Two Days in Washington: Advocacy in Action
At NSBA’s Washington Presentation, Tran and Bieda joined policy briefings at the White House (Eisenhower Executive Office Building), heard from Members of Congress during the Congressional Breakfast, and met with Senate and House offices on Capitol Hill to elevate outcome-based training, short-program recognition, and practical small-business reforms.
What’s Next
- NABA will convene employers, schools, lenders, and policymakers to pilot pay-for-outcome pathways.
- LBA will continue scaling debt-averse, license-first training that feeds Kentucky’s small-business pipeline.
- Lawmakers are invited to review NABA/LBA’s model and meet graduates—new taxpayers and future employers.
Contact (Media & Policy):
NABA — di@naba4u.org | naba4u.org
Louisville Beauty Academy — study@louisvillebeautyacademy.net | louisvillebeautyacademy.net
“We’re not walking—we’re running to graduate more licensed professionals debt-free and to make federal policy reward real outcomes,” Tran said. “That’s good for students, small businesses, and America.”
