Baseball games aren’t the only competitions to be won at Yankee Stadium.
During Bronx Week, which is in May, the Bronx Economic Development Corporation will be co-hosting an entrepreneurial competition with the New York Yankees and Santander in which five businesses will get the chance to present their business ideas to a panel of judges inside the iconic Bronx baseball stadium. Whichever business has the most promising idea will be awarded a $10,000 grant to bring that idea to life.
The inspiration to arrange this competition came from the fact that many businesses in the Bronx have the potential to flourish with the help of this grant. Additionally, the BXEDC wanted to collaborate with Santander and the Yankees to create a fun, inclusive and interactive event that would excite the community and further revive the Bronx business sector. This competition is also a special opportunity for small businesses to accelerate their growth.
The panel of judges will include Winston Peters, a BXEDC board member; Meisha Porter of the Bronx Community Foundation; and Christine De Lay, who serves as Santander’s Head of Small Business Banking.
Applications for this competition opened in February, and over one hundred businesses applied. The selection committee’s goal was to narrow it down to five businesses that benefit the Bronx community through their work, whether they are restaurants or stores or technology companies. With this in mind, the committee chose SciGence, a science and technology company; Gomez Design, a graphic design and digital media company; Green Canvas Production, a film production company; Bronx Native, a clothing company; and Mario’s, an Italian restaurant on Arthur Avenue.
After the competition is over, the entrepreneurial fun continues as a group of local business owners will be invited to learn more about business development through a workshop cosponsored by the New York Yankees, Mastercard and the Bronx Chamber of Commerce. This workshop will focus on capital access, marketing and opportunities to grow for the invitees to grow their businesses.
Jilleen Barrett is director of marketing and communications for the Bronx Economic Development Corporation.
