New York StartUP! 2023 Business Plan Competition

Meet the New York StartUP! 2023 Business Plan Competition Finalists

• First Place Prize Winners - Maria Silvestre and Jennifer Silvestre,   Nasir + Idie

• Second Place Prize Winners - Giana Quinterno and Sara Czworniak,   Social Skills in Motion

• Third Place Prize Winners - Kevin Vittayarukskul and Shu Jie Zhang,  HummingBio, Inc.

• Honorable Mention  - Kelli Lipson,  FLUF

• Honorable Mention - Richard Liriano and Reed Blee,  The Alcove NY

 

The New York StartUP! 2023 Business Plan Competition Finalists

• Maria Silvestre and Jennifer Silvestre ,  Nasir + Idie
• Giana Quinterno and Sara Czworniak ,   Social Skills in Motion
• Kevin Vittayarukskul and Shu Jie Zhang ,  HummingBio, Inc.
• Kelli Lipson ,  FLUF
• Richard Liriano and Reed Blee,  The Alcove NY
• Michelle Obine Galvin ,   Snaggletooth, Inc.
• Alex Guillaume ,   APPAOLLO
• John A. Marshall ,   NYC Borough Pass
• Stephanie Rogers and Adrienne Walker,    Menopause Pack
• Osariemen Uwaifo ,  The Yani Experience

 

The 13th Annual New York StartUP! Business Plan Competition is closed.  Check back in the fall of 2023 for details about the 2024 competition.

Win up to $15,000 to start your business, as well as gain practical insights about starting and growing a business while using the comprehensive small business resources at NYPL’s Thomas Yoseloff Business Center.

Are you eligible to win a cash prize?

1. You must live in Manhattan, The Bronx, or Staten Island *

2. Your business must be in Manhattan, The Bronx, or Staten Island

3. All businesses must have ideas or business models in the start-up phase and have earned less than $10,000

 

 To Participate:

Step 1 - Attend a Virtual Orientation Q & A Session  

The 1st requirement of the competition - attend a session for a review of the competition including how it works, the requirements, and the timeline.

                Click here to see the full schedule of the sessions.
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Step 2 - Submit Your Entry Form by March 31, 2023.  

The 2nd requirement of the competition - complete and submit an entry form to participate.

                Click here to access the form.  
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Step 3 -  Attend 1 Virtual Q & A Session for Each of the 4 Technical Workshops

The 3rd requirement of the competition- you must attend 1 session for each of the 4 workshops.

               Click here to see the full schedule of Virtual Q & A Sessions 
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Step 4 - Schedule at Least 1 Virtual Consultation with a Business Librarian Before March 15, 2023.

The 4th requirement of the Competition - Business Center Librarians can provide resources for marketing and industry research, sample business plans, and business service providers.

                Click here to schedule your virtual consultation.

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Step 5 - Meet at Least Once Before April 1, 2023 with a Business Advisor.

The 5th requirement of the Competition is to meet at least once with an expert business advisor to review your plan.

            Click here to see a list of potential business advisors and the form to document your meetings.

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Step  6 - Upload a PDF of Your Business Plan to the Competition Site by 11:59 PM on May 31, 2023.

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Prizes    

               • First Prize - $15,000  

               • Second Prize - $10,000

               • Third Prize - $7500   

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     Click here to review the full rules and eligibility requirements of the competition.

Questions about the StartUp! Competition?  Contact startup@nypl.org

 

 

* Do you live in Brooklyn or Queens?
We welcome all to participate in the competition and learn how to put a business plan together. However, only residents of Manhattan, The Bronx, or Staten Island who start a business in one of these three boroughs are eligible to win a prize.

Similar competitions are available for residents of Brooklyn and Queens. The Brooklyn Public Library runs the Brooklyn PowerUP! Competition for Brooklyn residents. The Queens Economic Development Corporation (QEDC) offers the StartUP! Competition for Queens residents.

 

 

Past Winners

New York StartUP! 2022 Business Plan Competition Winners:

 

 

 

First Prize Winner: Melanie Davis, Cutie Box
Second Place Winner:  Stephon Vaughns & Kaela Shelby,  Everchild 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2020 New York  Startup! Winners Announced

• First Prize Winner of the Bank OZK Community Impact Award:  La Shay B. Green, SoulBites

• Second Place Winner:  Madelyn Scarpulla, New York Ninja Academy NYC

HONORABLE MENTION
● Constance Barnes -The Bronx Learning Lounge
● Monica Mohan and Wendy Qiu -May’d Fit LLC
● Stacy McCoy Prime -Midnight Club

2020 Finalists: 

Meet the 2019 New York StartUP! Business Plan Competition Finalists

Grand Prize Winner:   Maurisa Westbury- Adirah Inc.                                   

First Runner-Up:  Leslie Raucher & Maegan White-Rescue Toolkit, LLC.

Honorable Mention: Ashley M. Scott-The Happy Glow; Stacy McCoy Prime—Upstream Design Lab, Inc.

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NY Startup 2019 Finalists:

Adrienne Walker & Stephanie Rogers - The Menopause Pack

Leslie Raucher & Maegan White - Rescue Toolkit, LLC

Diane Tinsley - Kids Dance Revolution

Stacy McCoy Prime - Upstream Design Lab, Inc.

Elona Bilovol - cosmetics manufacturing

Maurisa Westbury - Adirah Inc.

Ashley M. Scott - The Happy Glow

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 Meet the 2018 New York StartUP! Business Plan Competition Finalists

 

The top prize of $15,000 went to Kweer Cards, which crafts unique greeting cards for the LGBTQ+ community.

Founded by Ken Moore, Kweer Cards’ growing line of high-quality greeting cards strives to capture the experiences and sentiments of a currently underserved market through inclusive and whimsical designs.   Read the press release.   

 

 

 

2018 Finalists: 

Gladys Henriquez  -- Know My Rights Clothing Co. 
Josalyn Mayfield  --- Co.Co. ( Coffee & Cocktails)
Kariyma-Hamilton  -Defy Lingerie
Kenneth Moore  -----kweercards
Maureen Miller  -----Mo Possibilities Inc. 
Pamela Hawkins ----Organic Love Beauty, LLC
Pooja Khanna  -------Begin-to-Heal, LLC.
Siu-Kwan Tsui   ------CyberGuardian
Steve Roberts -------Mangi
Ventrice Lam   -------Classkite

 

Honorable Mention: 
Pooja Khanna
Josalyn Mayfield

Read the press release about the winner

 

** View the finalists talking about their plans.