All Over Albany

A big check for Flower Scout

From left to right: Dan Ciampino of Staff Ciampino, Jon Dion from the College of Saint Rose, Colie Collen of Flower Scout, Justin Priddle from Berkshire Bank, Mary Darcy from AOA, and Sue Conroy from the College of Saint Rose.

The giant check is always fun.

The winner of this year's AOA Startup Grant -- Colie Collen from Flower Scout -- was awarded the giant $1,500 prize check today at the Huether School of Business at the College of Saint Rose. (She's also getting a smaller check that she can actually deposit.)

This year's prize money was provided by Berkshire Bank, and the contest was sponsored by Staff Ciampino & Company P.C., Certified Public Accountants and the College of Saint Rose.

Flower Scout will be using the prize money for a hoop house on its farm lot in Troy, which will allow it to extend the growing season for flowers to supply its floral services. Which are in demand! Colie was preparing for a wedding later this weekend before stopping over at Saint Rose.

And Flower Scout also got a bonus prize today: Dan Ciampino of Staff Ciampino offered Colie a year of free consulting and accounting services! That's in addition to the business planning class that the Community Loan Fund also has offered.

Speaking of bonus prizes, many thanks again to the Albany-Colonie Chamber of Commerce for offering the Dutch Udder, one of this year's runners-up, free enrollment in Janet Tanguay's Entrepreneur Boot Camp. And thank you to Outspoken Media for offering Kristine Lambracht $1,500 in in-kind services to help Jerzey's Dog Resort, another runner up, to refine its online branding and messaging.

Thank you to everyone who helped out with this year's contest, including Jon Dion of Huether School for coaching, and our judges Lissa D'Aquanni from the Community Loan Fund, Rhea Drysdale from Outspoken Media, and Duncan Crary from Duncan Crary Communications.

And thank you again to our sponsors, Staff Ciampino & Company P.C., the College of Saint Rose, and Berkshire Bank.