NH Division of Economic Development
YouTube Facebook Twitter Twitter
Why New Hampshire Move Start Grow About Us

Posts Tagged ‘Families in Transition’

$25,000 to be awarded to New Hampshire Start Up

Thursday, May 26th, 2011

On June 2nd the Manchester Young Professionals Network (MYPN) will award $25,000 in cash and in-kind services to the winner of the MYPN NH Start Up Challenge business plan competition. The event is being held at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College on June 2nd at 5:30pm and is free and open to the public.

The event will feature an exclusive opportunity for the two remaining finalists, TRX Sports and Nearby Registry, to deliver an elevator pitch to the audience. The winner will then be announced for the first time in front of the attendees. Guests are encouraged to pre-register at www.mypn.org.  

mypn2“The NH Start Up Challenge is emerging as New Hampshire’s signature business plan competition,” said E.J. Powers, Chairman of MYPN. “We were extremely impressed by the quality of business plans submitted and are hopeful that the assistance provided to the winner, courtesy of many generous sponsors, will go a long way in making their business a success.”

The finalists include TRX Sports which has created “FLEYE” a video and GPS products and systems that allow sports enthusiasts to capture their experiences and share them online. 

“Participating in the MYPN NH Start Up Challenge has been a tremendous opportunity to network with other successful entrepreneurs and experienced business professionals who can help us grow from a great idea into a great company,” said Cameron Miner, CEO of TRX Sports. “In addition to the great connections and media exposure that we have gained through the Challenge, winning the $25,000 award would be incredibly valuable for us right now. The prize money would enable us to install a FLEYE System at a NH resort this summer, allowing us to get some early exposure and do more testing in preparation for the full launch this winter.”

The other finalist is Nearby Registry, a provider of online gift registry service for independent retailers and service providers. “MYPN’s NH Start Up Challenge triggered me to transfer my long-time local gift registry idea into a tangible business plan that proves the benefit local registry sales will have for Nearby communities,” said Allison Grappone. “The $25,000 from the Challenge will make Nearby Gift Registry a reality, sooner.”

Over 50 entrepreneurs applied and five semi-finalists received scholarships and attended the Stonyfield Farm Entrepreneurial Institute.  Along with the scholarship, they also received guidance and support regarding important aspects of their business plan from SCORE mentors.  Two finalists, TRX Sports and Nearby Registry were then chosen to present their business plan to the challenge judges consisting of Phil Ryan, Merchants Automotive Group; Kathleen Cook, Bean Foundation; Graham Chynoweth, Dynamic Network Services; Richard (Dick) Kimball, Bigelow & Company; and Steve Webb, TD Bank. The winner will be unveiled the evening of June 2nd.

The 3rd annual MYPN NH Start Up Challenge is a statewide business plan competition designed to encourage entrepreneurship and social innovation. The competition was created in 2008 by MYPN, New Hampshire’s first and largest young professional networking organization with over 3,000 members.

In less than three years, MYPN has awarded over $50,000 to New Hampshire start-ups. The 2010 competition winner was Play @ Work. Their goal is to help busy parents balance family, work and life by providing office space while their young children enjoy a supervised playgroup in a welcoming, child-friendly atmosphere.

The 2009 Start Up Challenge winner was Float Left Labs, a non-profit that assists other non-profits with marketing and web design needs. Float Left Labs has been open for business for over a year and is achieving its goal of providing marketing services to non-profits such as New Hampshire Businesses for Social Responsibility, Families in Transition and the Nashua Senior Center.

Public Service of New Hampshire is the presenting sponsor of the MYPN New Hampshire Start Up Challenge. Additional sponsors include FairPoint Communications, DYN Inc., abi Innovation Hub, Sheehan Phinney Bass + Green, Howe Riley and Howe, Business NH Magazine, Anagnost Companies, Montagne Communications, Wells Fargo Advisors, Northwestern Mutual, Merchants Automotive, McLane Law Firm, The Daymark Group, Wiggin & Nourie, Ogden Media and Z food & drink. Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available.

For more information please visit www.mypn.org.

Inspiring Women in Business Conference Scheduled for National Small Business Week

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011

woman-entrepreneurWith American Express reporting that the number of businesses owned by women in New Hampshire has grown by 37.2 percent in the last 14 years, there is no better time to be a female entrepreneur in the Granite State.

Recognizing that fact, Women Inspiring Women will present “Inspiring Women in Business” on Thursday, May 19, 2011 from 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. at SERESC Conference and Training Center, 29 Commerce Drive in Bedford. The day will celebrate National Small Business Week and include five educational sessions, exhibitors and networking.

Workshops include “Tap Into Your Inspiration” with Deb Titus of Dale Carnegie-NH, “Master Your Money Mindset” with Kathleen Burns Kingsbury of KBK Wealth Connection, “Fearless Marketing” with Nancy Clark of the Glen Group and “Growing a Successful Business” with Dr. Deborah Osgood of the Knowledge Institute. “We Mean Business,” a panel discussion featuring NH Business Review’s 2011 “Outstanding Women in Business” will also be held. These honorees and panelists include Maureen Beauregard of Families in Transition, Maren Boothby of Boothby Therapy Services, Robin Comstock of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Andrea Johnstone, Esq. of Bernstein Shur and Karen Pollard of the Rochester Department of Economic Development.  It will be moderated by Leslie Sturgeon of Women Inspiring Women, also an “Outstanding Women in Business” honoree.

“We felt the perfect way to recognize National Small Business Week and the fact more women are starting businesses than men in NH was to bring business women from around NH together for a day of education and inspiration,” according to Leslie Sturgeon, founder and president of Women Inspiring Women.”

As a result of a generous contribution from Microsoft BizSpark, NH Division of Economic Development, Public Service of New Hampshire, and Exeter Health Resources, the registration price is only $40 and includes lunch. Reservations are needed and space is limited. Contact Women Inspiring Women at (603) 744-0400 or visit http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=jtyn8ccab&oeidk=a07e3npt4qia831e39f for more information and to register.

Women Inspiring Women was founded in 2007 in the Lakes Region by Sturgeon to give women of all ages and backgrounds an opportunity to get together at educational, fun and inspirational events on a monthly basis. Since that time the organization has expanded to Concord, Nashua, Manchester, Bedford and the Seacoast, hosts bi-weekly events including the NH Conference for Women in November, and quickly become the state’s largest organization for women’s empowerment, personal development and networking.

Five Companies Receive Job Training Grants This Month

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

Gov. John Lynch today announced that five more New Hampshire companies have received Job Training grants in the month of August. 

nh-job-training-fundJob Training grants are aimed at keeping good jobs in New Hampshire by helping companies train their workers with new skills to compete in a changing economy. Gov. Lynch made it a priority to reinstate the Job Training Fund, which distributes up to $1 million annually in matching grants to allow companies to train new workers or retrain longtime employees.

Since the Job Training Fund was reinstated in late 2007 ago, nearly 7,500 workers from across New Hampshire have received training and enhanced skills through the matching grant program.

“New Hampshire is leading the region in economic activity, it is important that we continue to invest in New Hampshire workers and New Hampshire companies if we are to continue leading the way,” Gov. Lynch said. “Job training grants are helping our companies compete and grow, and meet the demands of a changing marketplace.”

The August 2010 recipients of the Job Training grants are: NH Ball Bearings in Laconia; Kheops International of Colebrook; Southeastern Container, Hudson; Airmar Technology Corp. in Milford; and Families in Transition in Manchester.

“The connection between business growth and an investment in professional development is undeniable,” said Department of Resources & Economic Development Commissioner George Bald. “I commend these exemplary companies for making a commitment to improving the skills of their workers and for adding to the economic vitality of the state.”

Since the Job Training Fund was re-established, companies from across New Hampshire have received state grants totaling more than $2.6 million. Companies receiving grants have contributed nearly $5 million, bringing the total amount invested in new training for workers to nearly $7.5 million.

For more information about the Job Training Fund, go to www.nhjobtrainingfund.org.