Winning Brooklyn-Based Startups Receive Support from Citi Foundation and BPL’s Success Council
BROOKLYN, NY – Tuesday night, Brooklyn Public Library celebrated the finalists and winners of the 11th Annual PowerUP! Business Plan Competition, an event that aims to enhance the borough’s economic development by incubating small businesses and supporting Brooklyn’s creative community. The PowerUP! Business Plan competition has helped launch more than 50 Brooklyn-based startups in the past 10 years.
The competition was designed by the Business Library’s Success Council to promote the number of free and accessible services, information and resources at BPL, while supporting innovative business growth. This year, 519 teams with more than 650 individuals participated and submitted a combined total of 91 business plans, competing for the first place cash prize of $15,000.
The 2014 winners are:
1st Place Award - $15,000
Vander Carter – JestGreen
2nd Place Award - $5,000
Mina Marsow – Prospect Gymnastics
Shaun Jaffier – Droplet
“The Brooklyn start-up community regularly showcases its aptitude for innovation and creativity,” said Linda E. Johnson, President & CEO, Brooklyn Public Library. “In our 11th year of hosting PowerUP!, BPL is once again thrilled to provide aspiring business owners with the mentorship and resources to positively impact the borough. We very much appreciate the competition’s sponsor, Citi Foundation, for continuing to make this program possible. ”
A diverse group of contestants comprised this year’s PowerUP! Competition. Participants represent every zip code in Brooklyn, 26% are immigrants or were born in a different country and more than two thirds are women. All participants—50% of whom are using BPL for the first time—attended classes at the library focused on creating effective business, marketing plans and financial projections, and met with business advisors for free.
“Citi congratulates all of today’s winners as well as all who benefited from this year’s PowerUP! Business Plan Competition,” said Eileen Auld, Director, New York Tristate Market, Citi Community Development. “Citi’s partnership with the Brooklyn Public Library in supporting this competition for more than ten years is a great example of the Citi Foundation’s commitment to promoting entrepreneurship opportunities worldwide.”
"Small businesses create jobs, vibrant neighborhoods, and serve as a path to the middle class, and it's important that we do all we can to help small businesses in NYC start, operate, and thrive," said Maria Torres-Springer, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services. "I congratulate all the winners of this year's PowerUP! Competition, and thank the Brooklyn Public Library and Citi Foundation for all they do to support small businesses. I encourage all of this year's participants to learn more about free services available to help you succeed."
Since the competition’s inception, more than 3,500 teams have applied to participate, generating more than 790 business ideas. As of this year, 100 participants will have received a cash award and more than 60 businesses have been started with the financial support of this competition.
BPL’s PowerUP! Business Plan Competition’s Finalist Descriptions:
Vander Carter
JestGreen is a new street food vendor featuring alluring combinations of healthy, hearty, wholesome, locally sourced Greenery and Juices. This company’s mission is to provide salad as a convenience food that is healthy for both the body and the planet. The dynamic menu is inspired by world cuisines and will appeal to even the most discerning palates of the hipster Brooklynites who frequent the outdoors and events. With the introduction of their Greenery, this business seeks to erase salad prejudice.
Lisa Fu
Joyful Hearts Celebration Giftsis poised to create a brand new segment within the special occasion industry. Marketed to weddings, special occasions and corporate events, their culturally and historically inspired neo-traditional tea and coffee gift sets will meet the growing demand in the middle-to-higher income market for meaningful gift-giving.
Heather Green and Sathya Balakumar
Lakum isa wedding atelier featuring a unique “Suite of Looks” that caters to a bride’s every fashion need for her wedding events, from rehearsal dinner, to ceremony, to after party. The debut collection, which offers 25 unconventional dresses and separates made from gorgeous fabrics, was launched at TheKnot.com’s Couture Show this fall. The goal is to begin order fulfillment of this inaugural line immediately and have their dresses in stores by January 2015.
Shaun Jaffier
Droplet is amobile application that is part audio recorder, part photo gallery, part social network that combined represents a new communication medium. Users will create, collect and share short-form sound embedded images. Unlike other social media platforms, this allows users to use sound-clips to share meaningful moments. Additionally, brands with catchphrases can have a more direct relationship with their customers than current social networks and advertising platforms provide.
David Klein and David Grupper
Point Made Animation isa media company that offers whiteboard animation as fully functioning PowerPoint slides, created entirely within PowerPoint. This avoids the glitches that can plague embedded or linked video. The animation is fully integrated, providing both seamless ease of use and editing control. This company developed the unique technology necessary to create whiteboard animation in PowerPoint.
Kenneth Liew
Increasing music engagement is the focus of Beat Farm. Unlike any existing product this mobile app alters the way music sounds in the moment – based solely from body movement. DJ effects are applied in real-time, in essence, your body becomes a DJ. This experience is particularly compelling to action sport athletes – jump and the music slows down; land and the beat drops back in. All that’s needed is a smartphone and the mobile app to access exciting moments of audio engagement.
Mina Marsow
Prospect Gymnastics offers developmental gymnastics classes, indoor play, birthday parties and events for children aged 18 months to 4 years. The brand new 750 square foot indoor space on Church Avenue fills a void in the Flatbush area and already has 50 students enrolled. The owner, who has extensive experience as a gymnastics instructor, plans on using the competition proceeds to expand programming space by building out the basement and transforming the backyard.
Sarah Metz
Serving the Prospect Heights and Crown Heights neighborhoods, Weigh Station hopes to instill in its customer an eco-conscious mindset toward pantry shopping in this diversifying community. The bin and barrel niche grocery store will offer affordable pantry staples and hard to find food items in flexible quantities using environmentally friendly containers provided by the customer or the store.
Tariqua Nehisi
Through the use of specialty and customizable finger and toe nail appliques, Takika Nails provides a unique brand recognition product that captures the essence of the represented organization at a single glance. By tapping into the collegiate sports market, this product will take tailgating and revelry to the next level. Customers will experience a nontraditional use for a beauty product that is simple to use, affordable and fashionable.
Jesse Strauss
INDEpayment.com takes the communal approach to servicing the market for independent workers’ debt collection by creating a database of unpaid independent worker invoices searchable by debtor. It is free for independent workers to register invoices and free and legal for the public to search. For a fee, debtors can clear themselves from the database by making a payment of a negotiated amount.
If you are interested in competing in PowerUP! next year, information will be available online beginning February 2015. For the most up-to-date information, please visit: http://www.bklynpubliclibrary.org/locations/business/powerup/.
About Brooklyn Public Library:
Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) is an independent library system for the 2.5 million residents of Brooklyn. It is the fifth largest library system in the United States with 60 neighborhood libraries. BPL offers free programs and services for all ages and stages of life, including a huge selection of books in more than 30 languages, author talks, job search help, literacy programs, public computers and the largest WiFi network in the borough. BPL’s eResources, such as eBooks and eVideos, as well as catalog information, are available to customers 24 hours a day at our website: www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org.
About Citi:
Citi, the leading global financial services company, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 140 countries. Through Citicorp and Citi Holdings, Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com or www.citi.com.
About the Citi Foundation:
The Citi Foundation is committed to the economic empowerment of individuals and families, particularly those in need, in the communities where we work so that they can improve their standard of living. Globally, the Citi Foundation targets its strategic giving to priority focus areas: Microfinance and Microenterprise, Small and Growing Businesses, College and Careers, and Financial Capability and Asset Building. The Citi Foundation works with its partners in Microfinance and Microenterprise and Small and Growing Businesses to support environmental programs and innovations. Additional information can be found at www.citifoundation.com.
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