Items tagged with 'Startup 2016'

The big check for Collar City Candle

startup grant 2016 check presentation

From left to right: Mary Darcy from AOA, Justin Priddle from Berkshire Bank (which provided $1,000 of the prize money), Josh and Jamie Wallbank, Dan Ciampino of Staff Ciampino, and Tom Tongue of the Tech Valley Center of Gravity.

Let's face it: One of the reasons we do the Startup Grant is because of the big check.

The winners of this year's AOA Startup Grant competition -- Josh and Jamie Wallbank of Collar City Candle -- was awarded the big, giant prize check Thursday at the Tech Valley Center of Gravity. (Josh and Jamie also got an actual, regular size check in the mail.)

Collar City Candle will be using the $2,500 prize pay for expenses related to incorporation, trademark, and copyright for its growing business.

Thank you this year's contest sponsors: CDPHP, Staff Ciampino & Company P.C., Certified Public Accountants, The Tech Valley Center of Gravity, The Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region, The College of Saint Rose, and Berkshire Bank.

The 2016 AOA Startup Grant winner

AOA Startup Grant 2016 finalists group

From left to right: Josh an Jamie Wallbank of Collar City Candle, Melissa Parade of Tivoli Park Peace Farm, Sarah and Aaron Marquise of Marquise Productions.

This year's field for the $2,500 AOA Startup Grant was very strong. There were a bunch of interesting, compelling projects.

But through crowd voting -- and an AOA editors' pick -- we narrowed the list of finalists to three.

And now we find out who's won the prize. Without further ado...

16-0375 All Over Albany Small Business online Ad_525x80

startup contest 2014 sponsor ad staff ciampino

Startup2015 Berkshire Bank in-post ad

Saint Rose in-post ad 2016

Nine Pin Cider Works AOA Startup Grant ad

(there's more)

AOA Startup Grant 2016 finalists

Startups2016 applicants poster billboard

There were a lot of good entries for this year's $2,500 AOA Startup Grant -- projects ranging from food to crafts to farming to performance to tech.

But we have to narrow the field to three finalists, two chosen from last week's crowd voting and one picked by the Editors.

And here they are...

16-0375 All Over Albany Small Business online Ad_525x80

startup contest 2014 sponsor ad staff ciampino

Startup2015 Berkshire Bank in-post ad

Saint Rose in-post ad 2016

Nine Pin Cider Works AOA Startup Grant ad

(there's more)

AOA Startup Grant 2016 vote leader board

startup2016 voting leaders two days to go

As of Wednesday morning.

There are just about two days remaining in the crowd voting to pick the finalists for the 2016 AOA Startup Grant. The graph above shows the projects with the top 5 vote totals so far.

The full leader board with vote totals is after the jump.

Two of the three finalists will be selected by the crowd voting. (The third will be selected by the Editors.) Voting closes this Friday, September 9 at noon. So if you haven't voted -- do so now! A handful of votes could make the difference.

If you don't already have a favorite (or two), it's worth taking the time to read through the entries. There are a lot of interesting projects this year.

The three finalists will make presentations to a panel of judges who will pick the winner of the $2,500 cash prize. Those presentations will be September 22 at The Tech Valley Center of Gravity in Troy. They'll be open to the public. It's free to attend. (We'll post details closer to the event.)

Thanks to this year's contest sponsors: CDPHP, Staff Ciampino & Company P.C., Certified Public Accountants, The Tech Valley Center of Gravity, The Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region, The College of Saint Rose, and Berkshire Bank.

16-0375 All Over Albany Small Business online Ad_525x80

startup contest 2014 sponsor ad staff ciampino

Startup2015 Berkshire Bank in-post ad

Saint Rose in-post ad 2016

Nine Pin Cider Works AOA Startup Grant ad

(there's more)

AOA Startup Grant 2016 voting now open!

Startups2016 applicants poster billboard

Voting is now open for the 2016 AOA Startup Grant contest!: Here's the ballot!

Three finalists will be chosen to compete for the $2,500 prize. Crowd voting will pick two of the finalists, the Editors will pick the third. Voting closes this Friday, September 9 at noon.

The finalists will make presentations to a panel of judges that will pick the winner. Those presentations will be September 22 at The Tech Valley Center of Gravity in Troy. They will be open to the public. It's free to attend. (We'll post details closer to the event.)

As in past years, the pool of entries this time around includes a bunch of interesting projects. Go have a look at the applications

Thanks to this year's contest sponsors: CDPHP, Staff Ciampino & Company P.C., Certified Public Accountants, The Tech Valley Center of Gravity, The Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region, The College of Saint Rose, and Berkshire Bank.

16-0375 All Over Albany Small Business online Ad_525x80

startup contest 2014 sponsor ad staff ciampino

Startup2015 Berkshire Bank in-post ad

Saint Rose in-post ad 2016

Nine Pin Cider Works AOA Startup Grant ad

Here's the list of entries for this year's AOA Startup Grant

Startups2016 applicants poster billboard

Crowd voting for two spots in the final of this year's AOA Startup Grant contest starts this Wednesday. So let's have a look at the entries for 2016. Here they are, listed in the order the applications were received (links go to their applications):

+ Nut Zez

+ Weird Beard Candle Co.

+ Stone Hard Hopyard

+ The Makeup Curio

+ Marquise Productions

+ The Musicians of Ma'alwyck

+ RE: WORK Editing

+ Gentle Persuasions

+ #EatMeAlbany

+ Clean Is The New Dirty

+ Tivoli Park Peace Farm

+ Collar City Candle

+ Electorate

As mentioned above, crowd voting for two of the three spots in the final starts on Wednesday. (Don't worry, we'll post a link.)

Thanks to everyone who entered this year! Good luck!

16-0375 All Over Albany Small Business online Ad_525x80

startup contest 2014 sponsor ad staff ciampino

Startup2015 Berkshire Bank in-post ad

Saint Rose in-post ad 2016

Nine Pin Cider Works AOA Startup Grant ad

AOA Startup Grant 2016

startup grant 2015 flower scout big check

The 2015 winner, Colie Collen's Flower Scout. Here's a recent follow-up with her.

There are plenty of people with great ideas here in the Capital Region -- but sometimes an idea needs an extra push to get it going, or to take it to the next level.

So we're happy to announce we're bringing back the AOA Startup Grant contest -- with the help of CDPHP, Staff Ciampino & Company P.C., Certified Public Accountants, The Tech Valley Center of Gravity, The Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region, and Berkshire Bank.

The idea: Provide $2,500 in cash, as well as some attention, to help a new project off the ground, or take an existing small business project to the next level. (Yep, the cash prize is bigger this year.)

The contest is also an opportunity to get a look at some of the good ideas circulating just below the radar in our region. And once again, you get to help decide who gets that funding. Or -- you know -- maybe even enter your own idea.

We're really looking forward to seeing what people come up with this year.

So, here's what we're looking for -- and how to apply...

16-0375 All Over Albany Small Business online Ad_525x80

startup contest 2014 sponsor ad staff ciampino

Startup2015 Berkshire Bank in-post ad

Saint Rose in-post ad 2016

Nine Pin Cider Works AOA Startup Grant ad

(there's more)

The Scoop

For a decade All Over Albany was a place for interested and interesting people in New York's Capital Region. It was kind of like having a smart, savvy friend who could help you find out what's up. AOA stopped publishing at the end of 2018.

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