For Immediate Release
Announcing 2025 Nashpreneur of the Year
Seventh annual conference unites creatives, entrepreneurs, and small business leaders
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 26, 2025) –Today, the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce announced Anna-Vija McCloud as the 2025 Nashpreneur of the Year. This award recognizes an individual in the Nashville community who exemplifies what it means to be a “Nashpreneur”— a creative, resilient, risk-taking leader who paves the way for other entrepreneurs and small businesses to succeed.
“Anna-Vija’s impact on the small business community goes far beyond her success as a founder,” said Veronica Marable Johnson, VP of Small Business Initiatives at the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. “Through Piccolo Solutions, she has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs streamline operations and scale with confidence. Her strategic mind, dedication to efficiency, and deep investment in mentorship have made her a cornerstone in Nashville’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Recognizing her as the 2025 Nashpreneur of the Year is both timely and deeply deserved.”
Anna-Vija was officially recognized during the 2025 Nashpreneurs Conference on Thursday, June 26th at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel and presented by the 2024 winner, Monchiere’ Holmes-Jones. She joins a legacy of past Nashpreneur winners that includes Monchiere’ Holmes-Jones, Mignon Francois, Sam Davidson, and Marcus Whitney.
An expert in small business efficiency and growth, Anna-Vija is the Founder and CEO of Piccolo Solutions. Her development firm provides businesses with numerous ways to scale ranging from lead generation to workflow solutions and recently celebrated their 11th year in business.
“Being named the 2025 Nashpreneur of the Year is an incredible honor and a humbling reflection of the work we’ve done over the past decade at Piccolo Solutions,” said Anna-Vija McCloud, Founder and CEO of Piccolo Solutions. “This recognition is not just for me, but for my amazing team, family, and friends that offer their constant support. No one gets far alone, and this recognition reflects the community we’ve built with hard work and intention. I’m incredibly grateful to be a leader, but also a teacher to so many that are building something special.”
In 2014, Anna-Vija founded Piccolo Solutions with the intention of helping business owners grow their personal and professional brands. They excel at finding efficiencies and solutions that allow business leaders to make decisions with confidence. She has published 8 articles for Forbes, The Connect Magazine, and Executive Nashville. Just recently, she was named Nashville Business Journal’s 2024 Woman of Influence and has been named to the Nashville Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, Most Admired CEOs, and Best in Business Lists. Notably, she was also selected for the 2022 Forbes Top 1000 List.
A dedicated member of the Nashville community, McCloud is active in numerous charities, Boards, and volunteer initiatives to include serving as past President of the Nashville Emerging Leader Board. As a long-time Mentor with SCORE Nashville, she is honored to have been selected as the host of the SCORE Connect television show on News Channel 5+, connecting business leaders and resources.
As a newlywed, she shares her home with her husband and their two fur babies while also looking ahead as they grow their family. She’s an alum of Volunteer State Community College and is always seeking a higher level of knowledge through her constant networking, professional outreach, and community engagement.
Headshot of Anna-Vija are available upon request.
Learn more about the 2025 Nashpreneurs conference here.
Media Contact
Jordan LaBelle
Manager of Communications
Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce
Cell: 615-743-3018
jlabelle@nashvillechamber.com
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About the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce
The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce is Middle Tennessee’s largest business federation, representing over 1,800 member companies. Belong, engage, lead, prosper embodies the Chamber’s focus on creating economic prosperity by facilitating community leadership. Established in 1990 as an economic development and community enhancement initiative of the Chamber, Partnership 2030 is a regional cooperative dedicated to making Middle Tennessee among the nation’s best places to live, work, and do business. Partnership 2030 is supported by a diverse group of public and private companies as well as governmental agencies from the organization’s 10-county service area. The work of the Chamber is supported by its members, Partnership 2030 investors, and sponsors; the Chamber’s Pivotal Partners (a partnership at the highest level for all Chamber programs and events) are Community Health Systems, Gresham Smith, and Regions Bank. For more information, visit www.nashvillechamber.com.
