SBA Seattle District Director Melanie Norton Announces Yo Soy Unico Daycare as 2025 Entrepreneurial Success Recipient

SBA Seattle District Office

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Founded in 2013 by Carmen Corbin, Yo Soy Unico Daycare is a child daycare and learning center based in Federal Way, WA, providing bilingual language immersion and personalized care for children of all ages and backgrounds. From humble beginnings, Corbin has stewarded a successful and growing company with a dedication to her clients, her employees, and to her local community.

The SBA Seattle District Director Entrepreneurial Success recognition – part of National Small Business Week May 4-10, 2025 – is selected by the SBA Seattle District Director to celebrate a small business owner that was nominated for the local Small Business Week Awards program who demonstrates substantial growth, significant job creation, and contributions to the local community. This honor also celebrates demonstrated resilience and effective leadership in a small firm.

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“Substantial growth and job creation is an accomplishment in and of itself, but to see a once micro-business bloom into a flourishing business with multiple locations and staff is truly an impressive feat in scaling up,” SBA Seattle District Director Melanie Norton said. “There are many unique challenges in the childcare industry. There is also significant need. Businesses like Yo Soy Unico Daycare are an example to other aspiring childcare businesses of how to successfully embrace opportunity to serve the needs of local communities.”

Yo Soy Unico Daycare initially launched as a home-based business with Corbin as the company’s only employee. With two young children of her own, she had enrolled in local classes to study early childhood education and discovered a passion for providing a safe, caring environment where all children can thrive. Within a few years of opening, Corbin had a waiting list of new clients and needed more space to accommodate them.

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In order to expand the business, Corbin knew she needed to increase her business acumen, develop a strategic plan, and apply for the necessary funding. Corbin connected with Ventures Non Profit, a local SBA Microlender, where she found business training classes, one-on-one coaching, a peer support network, and access to small-dollar loans to build credit and grow her business.

Working with her SBA Microlender, Corbin was able to borrow funds for minor expenses such as licenses, permits, and educational materials. Starting with small loans enabled Yo Soy Unico Daycare to manage growth, build credit, and eventually access funding for larger projects such as building improvements and remodeling. By 2019, the company had expanded to three locations providing services to more than 100 families.

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“When Carmen first came to Ventures, her business looked very different than it does today,” Monique Valenzuela, Executive Director of Ventures Nonprofit said. “She was seeking guidance with the very basics of small business management and access to capital, and since then she has opened new locations, created jobs, and given back to her community in so many ways. It has been an amazing journey.”

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Today, Yo Soy Unico Daycare supports 36 employees who serve more than 200 children across three locations and is working to open two additional locations in the near future. Corbin is passionate about giving back to her community and has provided financial support to high school students who want to attend college and established a nonprofit youth soccer league to improve access to outdoor recreation and team building exercise for low-income families.

“To me, this recognition is unbelievable,” Corbin said. “I have worked very hard to build this company and I am proud of what we have today. For other small business owners like me, my advice is to be positive, be strong, you can do it. Find something you love and keep going, it’s never too late.”

About National Small Business Week

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A celebration honoring local SBA winners from Washington and the SBA Seattle District – which serves Washington state and northern Idaho – will be May 7, 2025, at the Museum of Flight. Other SBA local awards that will be recognized at the celebration include 8(a) Graduate of the Year, Rural Small Business of the Year, Microenterprise of the Year, and Washington Small Business Person of the Year.

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Each year since 1963, the President has issued a proclamation calling for the celebration of National Small Business Week. SBA recognizes outstanding small business owners for their personal successes and contributions to our nation.

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