Continuing its support of early-stage entrepreneurs, the Berks LaunchBox recently awarded “Grow Your Startup Grants” to six startup companies. Each of the companies — all participants in Berks LaunchBox programs — were awarded $500. The funding can be used to help with a need each entrepreneur has identified.
Some of those startup needs include: Talent to help with prototyping, marketing and design or registration for an educational conference or training session, according to a press release. The grants are funded by a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development to Invent Penn State. Each grant connects the entrepreneurs with talent partners who can provide them with expertise that can help them grow their startup companies.
In addition, the funds can be used to help pay for conference or training program in the entrepreneurs’ industries. Berks LaunchBox added that each winning entrepreneur plans to pay out-of-pocket to supplement the grant, in order to accomplish their goals. The grant recipients are: OCOA is a hair care line for curly and wavy hair, co-founded by sisters and Penn State Berks business alumni Cory Dahlia Varona Corniel, class of 2011, and Nicol Varona Cancelmo, class of 2013.
Their mission is to redefine how curly hair products are made and how they make women feel. The sisters plan to use their grant money to hire a Penn State intern to help them grow their marketing. Mindful Roots Children provides school staff wi.
