News
May 7, 2019Psychologist, mobile nail salon, and hair salon win prizes in Capital Region Chamber Entrepreneur Boot Camp’s Business Plan Competition
Thirteen (13) entrepreneurs in twelve (12) businesses (one partnership) have built a foundation to expand their businesses following their successful completion of the Capital Region Chamber’s 60-hour award-winning Entrepreneur Boot Camp training course, specially designed for starting and growing businesses.
The entrepreneurs graduated from the Chamber’s spring 2019 boot camp course during a ceremony held at Sunmark Federal Credit Union’s corporate offices in Latham.
During the event, Sunmark Federal Credit Union presented Ms. Supriya Blair of Dr. Blair Psychology LLC a cash grant of $2,500 and a one-year Capital Region Chamber membership. Ms. Kiley Gross of Tone’s was presented with a $1,000 check from Whiteman Osterman & Hanna and also won a Ricoh printer from Repeat Business Systems. Danielle Seburn of Mythic Hair received two computer training courses from MicroKnowledge Inc., college credits from SUNY Schenectady County Community College and purchase vouchers from Safeguard.
Annmarie Lanesey, President of Greane Tree Technology and 2009 Entrepreneur Boot Camp graduate, was the keynote speaker and offered great advice to the start-up companies. Shoprite offered partial scholarships to military veterans again this year. Laura Mann from the Capital Region Chamber and Frank DeGraw and Jay Singh from Sunmark FCU handed out certificates and prizes.
The Chamber’s award-winning 10-week Entrepreneur Boot Camp Training Course educates entrepreneurs on the critical skills necessary for business growth and expansion. The class blends classroom and individual training with instruction and expertise provided by prominent business experts. Expert guest lecturers (80 overall) include successful business leaders and professionals from the community covering topics such as branding, advertising, legal issues, market research, demographics, sales, financing, leadership, diversity and inclusion, social media, presentations skills, accounting and more.
This semester’s judges of the business plan competition included in M. Khamel Abdulai of Excelsior College, Tieece Dixon of TieBerrySweets, Jay Singh from Sunmark FCU, Destiny Watkins from the Community Loan Fund, and Bernadette Willis of Ms. B’s Executive Coaching.
Spring 2019 Entrepreneur Boot Camp graduate businesses/entrepreneurs include:
Supriya Blair, Dr. Blair Psychology, LLC
Ivan Cortez, Cortez-Vaca Properties
Vijaya (Rani) Gandham, Wealth of Wellness (WOW!)
Nancy Gonzalez, Kona Ice of Clifton Park
Kiley Gross, Tone’s
Xiaomin Jin, Startline
Ashleigh Lemelin, Greenhouse Coffee Co.
Clarence McCray, Likeable Pop Ups
Danielle Poquette, The Fix Café & Bakery
Tara & Tom Riggs, Baked & Boozy
Danielle Seburn, Seburn Mythic Hair
Isabel Torres, Isabel’s Puerto Rican Food Truck
Entrepreneur Boot Camp is supported by the Capital Region Chamber and the Empire State Development Corporation’s Entrepreneurial Assistance Program. Sunmark FCU is the major sponsor.
The Fall 2019 boot camp begins in September 2019. For more information about the program, contact Vice President Business Growth, Laura Mann, at 518-431-1430 or by email at lmann@capitalregionchamber.com.
