Small Business Profiles
Digital Tools Help Bring All-Natural Meat Snacks To The Masses
Growing up with his mom’s Cuban-influenced cooking, Jason Burke developed a taste for flavorful food. When the bland, processed snacks in the vending machine at work left him wanting something better, he started making jerky at home and bringing it to the office. It wasn’t long before his coworkers wanted a taste. Jason soon had…
Op-Ed by Melissa Horvath of Sweet Water Decor: Why is Pennsylvania’s Attorney General suing one of small businesses’ best partners?
[Note: This opinion piece was initially published by the Butler Eagle on May 2, 2024.] I’m a small-business owner who employs 40 people in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, policymakers in Harrisburg and Washington, D.C., are considering new regulations that would seriously disrupt my business. Here’s the back story. In 2014, I started a home decor business, Sweet…
Mt. Vernon-Based E-Commerce Business Grows with Digital Tools
Mt. Vernon, NY As sons of an entrepreneur, Charles Chakkalo and his brothers always dreamed of becoming business owners. They started Joey’z Shopping while in college, an e-commerce company that offers houseware ranging from cake stands to curtains, providing hard-working Americans with high-quality, affordable houseware. Charles and his brothers live by their company’s motto: “Nobody…
Online Tools Deliver Thai-Inspired Sauces to Customers Nationwide
New York, NY Sutta Saraphum found her passion for exciting foods while working in restaurants and cooking traditional dishes with her mother in Thailand. When she moved to New York in 2011, she was disappointed with the lack of authentic, flavorful sauces like those back home, so she created her own. Sutta founded SD Sauce…
Empowering Students to Overcome Boundaries with Oppti
Manhattan Beach, California Khiry Kemp founded Oppti to empower high school students by providing a digital platform that connects them with internships, volunteer opportunities, career skills training, and work-based learning opportunities in partnership with employers and school staff nationwide. Through Oppti, Kemp aims to facilitate career readiness and professional development for students, ensuring accessible and…
If You Can Dream It, You Can Achieve It: A Baker’s Digital Journey
Fullerton, CA In 2010, Philip Gomez helped turn his mother’s dream of owning her own bakery into a reality by opening Patty’s Cakes and Desserts in Fullerton, CA. Through the power of digital tools and support from their community, Patty’s Cakes is one of the highest-rated bakeries on major review platforms and expanded to a…
Nutritious Foods are Fun and Flavorful with Healthy Rican
Buffalo, NY When Mayra Luz Colon moved from Puerto Rico to Buffalo, NY, in 2010, she struggled to find foods that were both healthy and flavorful. She started making healthier versions of Puerto Rican spices and posting about them on social media, and the responses were overwhelmingly positive. Mayra created Healthy Rican, an online spice…
Online Math Games Make Learning Fun and Accessible
St Louis Park, MN While teaching middle school in St. Louis Park, MN, Michael Edlavitch discovered a need for effective, less expensive math resources that also engage students. School districts paid up to $7 per student for online math programs that didn’t produce good results, so Michael founded Hooda Math, a website offering free online…
Empowered by Technology: My Personal Memories Creates the Most Heartfelt Gifts
Coral Springs, FL In 2011, Jason Cipolla left his long-standing hockey career to create My Personal Memories, an online personalized gift company based in Coral Springs, FL. Jason and his wife, Kristin, were inspired by their love for capturing life’s memories and putting smiles on people’s faces. Their heartfelt gifts are fully customizable and include…