“This program really lit a fire for me. It’s really shifted something in my spirit about going from feeling dread all of the time to feeling more defiant and hopeful.” Sky Barsch, Owner, Alpenglow Fitness, Montpelier VT From a difficult start… Purchasing a new business brings many challenges, but Sky Barsch faced one of the […]
Wendy Mackenzie’s Everlasting Herb Farm has brought many beautiful personal care products to the Vermont Country Store in an exclusive sales relationship. She now works to focus her line specifically on natural deodorants which she manufactures and sells online and in stores. Community Navigator leads to multiple pathways for growth With the CNPP funding, Wendy […]
Brielle Rovito of Dust & Form creates sculptures using some of Vermont’s beautiful natural materials: granite, and marble. By 2019 she had expanded her studio and begun to take on wholesale orders, expanding into mass manufacturing of her pieces. In February 2020, Brielle attended a large NYC trade show and was blown away by orders […]
The lakeside view from the Lake Morey Resort conference room was spectacular, but the real action was taking place inside the room where VtSBDC Advisor and Student Entrepreneurship Specialist Laurel Butler and VtSBDC Consultant and CVU faculty member Tamie-Jo Dickinson facilitated the kickoff of Creativity and Innovation, a course for Vermont educators that offers three […]
Cold Hollow Career Center students Ellaina Murphy, Emily Noel and Destiny Benware are three of Enosburg Falls’ newest entrepreneurs. With the help of their teacher, Sarah Jo Marcotte, they each created a line of skin and home care products made with essential oils. With $2,500 in funding, they designed their own products, marketed them to […]
By Amanda Kuhnert Mother-daughter business duo, Sophia Manzi and Gail Borden, are both artists. Sophia is a painter and Gail is a quilter. Their company, Vivace Vermont, is the intersection of these two disciplines. They produce clothing and home accessories using colorful, one-of-a-kind fabrics. The plan was hatched on a 2019 trip to New York […]
RANDOLPH CENTER, Vt (Oct. 19, 2022) – Linda Rossi, State Director of the Vermont Small Business Development Center (VtSBDC), has named Sergio Alvares as the organization’s Statewide Advisor, Strategic Projects. As a statewide business advisor, Alvares helps small business owners optimize their time and money and reduce business risks by incorporating his expertise in finance, […]
A Quick Guide to VtSBDC Resources for Vermont’s Small Business Owners & Employee If you are in Vermont, October brings to mind pumpkins and spectacular views. For the small business community, this month also signifies Cybersecurity Awareness Month when inboxes fill with warnings about computer fraud, digital scams, and the myriad of risks we all […]
Energy, Enthusiasm & the Entrepreneurial Spirit It was a perfect autumn day in Vermont on Oct. 1 when more than 300 guests gathered at Vermont Technical College’s Randolph Center campus for the 25th annual Women’s Economic Opportunity Conference (WEOC). Founded and hosted by Senator Patrick Leahy and his wife Marcelle, the conference has a rich […]
A community supporting the community: On a quiet side road near downtown Rutland, a 14,500-square foot building houses The MINT, Rutland’s Makerspace. Once inside, there is a bustling hive of activity and creativity where members learn and practice their craft, and often their livelihood. The space opens to a vast variety of shops: wood, pottery, […]
