Four Valley women were recently selected as winners of the seventh annual Women in Networking (WIN) Entrepreneurial Grant program. The WIN grant is a named fund with the Valley Community Foundation. WIN is one of four leads groups affiliated with the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce (GVCC).
The grants will be awarded on Dec. 7, at a luncheon at Il Palio restaurant in Shelton.
The grant recipients are: Amanda Oram, owner of Paws & Kisses Pet Sitting Service, LLC in Shelton at $1,500; Carolann Jackson, owner of The Clothing Outlet in Shelton at $2,000; Cathryn Lyddon, owner of Chezlollipop in Ansonia at $2,000 and Meghan Tarby, owner of The Mad Hatter Boutique in Seymour at $750.
The grant is distributed from funds received from WIN membership dues and fundraisers organized by the group. This past fall, WIN’s Almost Autumn Wine Tasting at Il Palio raised over $10,000 and was chaired by Katie Scinto, Vice President of R.D. Scinto, Inc. in Shelton.
All four grant recipients will utilize the grant in different ways: Paws & Kisses Pet Sitting Service, LLC will purchase a new computer and printer; The Clothing Outlet will acquire additional embroidery equipment; Chezlollipop will expand her inventory, website and related start-up costs; and The Mad Hatter Boutique will buy equipment.
“We are pleased to continue the legacy of awarding annual grants to well-qualified entrepreneurial women in the Valley,” said Virginia DeDad, Chair of the WIN Group and owner of Royal Service Travel at the Towers in Shelton. “During these difficult economic times, we substantially increased our level of giving this year to a new record – over $6,000 in grants.”
Sharon Massafra, franchise owner of Home Instead Senior Care and independent consultant with Arbonne International, chaired the grant selections committee.
This grant-in-aid program provides financial assistance to women 18 years of age or older in the Greater Valley area in the towns of Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Derby, Oxford, Seymour and Shelton.
The WIN grant can be used for expenses to enhance the applicant’s current business or to start a new business. These expenses may include: equipment, tuition, books, transportation, business wardrobe or childcare necessary to reach the applicant’s career goals.
Recipients are also invited to a complimentary one-year membership to the WIN Group. Applicants are evaluated on a nondiscriminatory basis without consideration of race, national origin, religious affiliation or disability. The minimum one-time grant is $500. Greater amounts may be awarded according to individual needs and funds available. Since its inception, WIN has donated over $16,000 to 17 grant recipients.
WIN is the first group of its kind to service the six-town region of the Greater Valley. Founded in 2002, the group was formed by a successful group of businesswomen who meet to discuss common issues. Meetings are conducted on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month. These meetings are either held at the GVCC office or off-site at a Chamber member location. Social and educational events are also scheduled throughout the year.
For more information, please call the GVCC at (203) 925‑4981 or visit www.greatervalleychamber.com for more information about joining the Chamber and WIN.
