Four students awarded NEXT STEP Business Grants

Winners were Matt Teribery, a business management major from Bradford, who received a $1,320 grant to develop Capitl Clothing. Teribery is beginning a clothing line, starting with T-shirts and is working with bands, BMX riders and snowboarders. His latest designs can be seen on Capitl Clothing’s Facebook page.

Immanuel Diamant, a psychology and biology major from New Hope, received a $1,200 grant for Tiny Tree Nursery, a nursery for bonsai trees. He plans to buy seeds and trees at different ages to develop a steady supply of trees for sale. He plans to be a “high touch” supplier, sending e-mails to his customers to remind them when to water and prune their trees.

Cassandra Ludwig, a social sciences major from Derrick City, received a $700 grant for Bear Closet, a used clothing store using items gleaned from Goodwill on eBay. She plans to use her grant to develop home parties to sell additional clothing from a wider geographical area.

Jenny Trippett, an interdisciplinary arts major from Lemont, received a $540 grant for a club she plans to open in Bradford with two other students on Friday nights. Trippett, along with Tom Van Osten, an English major from Langhorne, and Kristen Miller, a business management major from Gibsonia, plan to rent Kimberly’s Kool Beans, a coffee shop in downtown Bradford, and bring in bands and other acts.

The NEXT STEP competition is sponsored by the Pitt-Bradford entrepreneurship program to help student entrepreneurs to move their businesses forward.

Winners were chosen by a panel of three judges: Brian Jadlowiec of Northwest Savings Bank, Heidi Powley of the Warren County Chamber of Business and Industry, and Rachel Confer of Pitt-Bradford’s Students in Free Enterprise.

The next round of grants for students will be awarded in the fall. For more information, visit the Pitt-Bradford entrepreneurship program website at www.pittpowerofe.com.

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