The Sunmark Startup Grant winner
36 entries, 3 finalists, 1 winner.
After hearing the presentations, the judges have made their decision in the Sunmark Startup Grant contest.
And the winner of the $1,500 startup grant from Sunmark Federal Credit Union is...
The Radix Center for Ecological Sustainability
Congratulations to Stacy Pettigrew and Scott Kellogg. They're planning to use the grant to start an aquaculture project at The Radix Center, where they'll raise and sell fish and watercress. AOA will follow their progress and keep you up to date on the project.
The competition was tough. The judges liked all three ideas, and for a while it was a close contest between The Radix Center and Beverly Carrubba's Co-Original Creations cheesecake project.
Here's some postgame with the judges on their decision:
In addition to the $1,500, the Radix Center will get a membership to Janet Tanguay's entrepreneurial boot camp planning course at the Albany/Colonie Chamber of Commerce.
Thanks to everyone who entered and voted in the contest. Special thanks to Sunmark Federal Credit Union for putting up the money to invest in a local start-up.
Thanks to Janet Tanguay and the Albany/Colonie Chamber of Commerce for the space and for coaching the finalists.
And thank you to our judges, Lissa D'Aquanni of the Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region, Lorraine Murphy of Bettie's Cakes and Blake Hanan of Mealeo.com for sharing their time, insight and advice.
Earlier on AOA:
+ The Sunmark Startup Grant entries
+ The Sunmark Startup Grant finalists' presentations
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Comments
oh.
... said thatwassortofdisappointing on May 19, 2011 at 3:50 PM | link
Hooray! I wanted this one to win.
... said Meagan on May 19, 2011 at 4:27 PM | link
Watercress vs. cheesecake. And you picked watercress.
... said chrisck on May 19, 2011 at 4:37 PM | link
Skotty and Stacy, I am so pleased for you. I know how hard you work at something that might have at first been deemed improbable by most of the city. But I am really humbled by your dedication to work with the kids in the city, and how physically hard you work every day to build something inspiring, nourishing and replenishing. Not everyone dedicates their lives to making something better in tangible ways. You two do, and so I am so proud to call you my friends. Between cheesecake and watercress, I'm putting my money on watercress - for my health, sustainability, and a whole lot of other good things. Keep on keeping on. You're planting seeds for the future, and that is for real.
... said Laura Hartmark on May 19, 2011 at 7:47 PM | link
@chrisck
I went with cheesecake! Thanks to All Over Albany for putting this together and asking me to be on the panel of judges.
Each group did a solid job, and it was a touch choice. Good luck to all of you who entered!
... said Blake Hanan on May 19, 2011 at 8:12 PM | link
Congrats!!
... said laiskiainen on May 19, 2011 at 8:33 PM | link
Maybe some fusion is in order here: watercress cheesecake?
... said chrisck on May 20, 2011 at 10:33 AM | link
South End keeping it real...congratulations Radix!
... said FrankS on May 21, 2011 at 6:15 PM | link