ICONIER Wins $10,000 Grand Prize at 2026 Fort Worth Business Plan Competition

FORT WORTH, Texas (October 16, 2026) – ICONIER Digital Marketing Agency won the

$10,000 grand prize at the 15th annual Fort Worth Business Plan Competition, held Thursday,

October 15, at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. The City of Fort Worth Economic

Development Department hosts the competition, and Frost Bank is the sponsor.

ICONIER was one of eight finalists chosen from 20 small businesses. Each finalist gave a

three-minute pitch to a panel of judges, followed by a two-minute question-and-answer

session. The competition awarded $20,000 in prizes this year. Fort Worth Mayor Mattie

Parker attended and spoke at the finale.

From billboards to AI answers

ICONIER founder and CEO Rish Sharma built his pitch around a simple idea: for a small

business, the phone ringing is everything. He learned this growing up, watching his father help

business owners find customers through billboards and outdoor signs.

Sharma, who lives in Tarrant County, completed the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small

Businesses program in April 2026.

“For a small business, a phone that stops ringing can be the end,” said Sharma. “I’ve helped

owners move from billboards to online. Now I want to do it again, here at home in Fort Worth.”

Sharma told the judges that customers now ask AI tools questions like “Who’s the best

plumber in Fort Worth?” Businesses that don’t appear in those answers lose the call.

ICONIER, founded in 2020, helps local service businesses show up in AI answers, search

results, maps, and ads.

Results for local businesses

ICONIER serves more than 80 businesses with a team of 22 and holds a 4.9-star rating

across more than 320 reviews. The company has grown without outside capital and isprofitable.

One North Texas landscaping client used to see his phone go quiet every winter and had to

let his crew go. After working with ICONIER, he reached the top of local search and received

three times as many calls. He now takes winter jobs such as tree trimming, planting, and

drainage work, and keeps his whole crew all year.

Investing the prize in Fort Worth

Tarrant County has 47,656 small businesses with employees. ICONIER is expanding in Fort

Worth, where it works with three clients today. The company will spend the full $10,000

locally: $5,000 for a Fort Worth ambassador, $2,000 for a local videographer, $1,500 for

memberships, and $1,500 for workshops and sponsorships. Its goal is 20 Fort Worth clients

by the end of 2027.

“Every dollar stays in Fort Worth,” said Sharma. “Small business owners here shouldn’t have

to gamble on marketing. Let’s make Fort Worth’s small businesses iconic online.”

About ICONIER Digital Marketing Agency

ICONIER Digital Marketing Agency helps small businesses grow online with affordable,

predictable digital marketing. Its services include AI search visibility, local SEO, website

design, Google Ads, Meta Ads, and video production. The agency serves clients across the

United States from offices in Fort Worth, Dallas, Austin, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. Learn

more at iconier.com.

Business owners can request a free marketing audit at iconier.com.

About the Fort Worth Business Plan Competition

The Fort Worth Business Plan Competition helps local entrepreneurs build business plans

through workshops, coaching, and mentorship. It is hosted by the City of Fort Worth Economic

Development Department and sponsored by Frost Bank.