Premium Content: BPL’s PowerUp! business competition awards over $40k to Brooklyn entrepreneurs
2024 PowerUp! awards. Photo by Gregg Richards
By Mandie-Beth Chau
November 15, 2024
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BROOKLYN — Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) awarded over $40,000 to eight Brooklyn-based businesses and entrepreneurs through its 21st annual PowerUp! competition on Thursday, Nov. 14. CBS News New York’s Brooklyn reporter Hannah Kliger hosted the ceremony which honored Noir Yoga of Bedford-Stuyvesant with a $40,000 grand prize presented by Dime Community Bank.
PowerUp! 2024 winners. Photo by Gregg Richards
“It is our pleasure and, more importantly, our honor to be the lead sponsor of PowerUP! for the eighth year. We believe that this program unleashes the next generation of business leaders in Brooklyn,” said Stuart H. Lubow, president and CEO of Dime.
Alexander Dwinell of The Word is Change Bookstore. Photo by Gregg Richards
May King Innovations was awarded the $10,000 prize for its language interpretation cards that help non-English speaking patients communicate in hospitals. Bushwick-based queer bookstore Hive Mind Books was awarded $5,000. Hive Mind Books sells both new and used books for all ages and across all genres along with a selection of pastries, coffee and tea. The bookstore is the first to focus exclusively on LGBTQ+ authors according to Patch.
Esther and David Betten of Argyle Yarn. Photo by Gregg Richards
The PowerUp! program also includes five merit awardees who each receive $1,000 of seed money for their businesses. The five merit award winners were Outside with Recess Village, U&O, Home Harvest, Stepping Stones Studio and Sublime Psych. Steeven Nelson of Outside with Recess Village won the audience favorite award and an additional $1,000 for the nonprofit that creates inclusive outdoor experiences for Black, Brown and other underserved individuals of all ages.
Elissa Olin of Green in BKLYN. Photo by Gregg Richards
“Starting a business is never easy and I congratulate all of the winners and finalists for their creativity and persistence. We look forward to visiting their shops, downloading their apps and using their services very soon,” said Linda E. Johnson, president and CEO of Brooklyn Public Library.
Linda Johnson. Photo by Gregg Richards
PowerUp! started in 2003 as a way to help businesses after 9/11. PowerUp! has granted over $600,000 to over 200 entrepreneurs across Brooklyn, including notable businesses such as Greenlight Bookstore, Brooklyn Tea, Argyle Yarn, Green in BKLYN, Island Pops, Bogota Latin Bistro and Tinsel Experiential Design.
Khalid Hamid and Shelly Marshall of Island Pops. Photo by Gregg Richards
This year, over 400 entrepreneurs, most of whom had no business experience, entered the competition and a panel of business owners, nonprofit leaders and academics selected the winners. The awardees not only receive financial prizes, but they also receive one-on-one business plan assistance from successful entrepreneurs and business experts, as well as free classes on marketing, business finance and library resources.
Timothy Chu, Charly Uzcategui and Henger Ydrogo of Terrartnyc. Photo by Gregg Richards
PowerUp!’s primary sponsors are Dime Community Bank, which serves as the lead sponsor, Data Axle Reference Solutions and Ridgewood Savings Bank.
Lubow has served as Dime’s president and CEO since 2023, and he is involved in several nonprofit organizations, including the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research and the Eric Feltman Memorial Foundation. Prior to his current role, Lubow was COO of Dime, where he now oversees the bank’s 63 locations, over 800 employees and $13.5 billion in assets. Lubow has over 40 years of experience in regional and community banking.
Stuart Lubow. Photo by Jim Lennon
BPL is one of the nation’s largest public library systems. For over 125 years, BPL has supported the community by providing innovative library service, supporting personal advancement and fostering civic literacy. BPL offers nearly 65,000 free programs and has become a global leader for freedom to read through its Books Unbanned initiative.
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