We are celebrating 20 years of PowerUP! 

Since 2003, we have nurtured 10,575 individuals with over 1,350 business plans and awarded more than $600,000 in cash and in-kind gifts to Brooklyn entrepreneurs. Our success stories include more than 100 companies with passion for food and drink, health and wellness, arts and crafts, media and fashion, education, social justice, and cultural diversity –everything that makes Brooklyn great.

Watch the 2021 pitch competition below, and watch the 2020 pitch competition online here.

Some early winners, like Bogota Latin Bistro and Greenlight Bookstore, have become local institutions, while recent winners like Brooklyn Tea and Island Pops, hope to be the next generation of Brooklyn destinations.

In the spirit of the Library, we welcome all Brooklyn residents. Among our 2022 participants, 25% are immigrants/foreign born, 72% are women, and 72% have never owned a business.

FAQs

Who can enter?
What are the prizes?
  • Winners will receive cash awards as seed capital to start a business in Brooklyn. Cash prizes of $20,000 for first place, $10,000 for second place, $5,000 for third place, and $1,000 for five merit winners will be awarded. Also, during the awards ceremony,one of the merit winners will be chosen by the audience to receive an additional $1,000!
How can I apply?
  • The competition is administered through an online platform: https://powerup.smapply.io/ All prospective applicants must attend the orientation before applying. The orientation explains all the details of applying to and participating in the competition.
What do I have to do to participate?
  • Participants must attend the orientation, get a Brooklyn Public Library Card, meet with a business advisor, and attend a minimum of 3 PowerUP! webinar classes.
What are the PowerUP! classes?
  • Participants attend Zoom webinar classes on creating business plans, marketing, financial projections, and doing business research. The financial projections and business research classes are mandatory.
Who are the business advisors?
  • Participants are referred to organizations in the community who offer free business counseling.
May I submit a business plan that I have previously written?
  • Business plans must follow the format and guidelines provided by the competition. Previously written plans must be revised to comply with the competition guidelines.
What are the judges looking for?

A well-researched plan that follows the guidelines and clearly shows:

  • A need and use for the financial award
  • How your business will provide needed products or services to the community
  • How your business will be viable and successful
 
  • We no longer offer the PowerUP! KREYòL competition. Language support will be provided for those who speak Kreyòl and want to enter PowerUP!

PowerUp Sponsors

 

2023 PowerUP! Competition

The Prize is in the Process!

Click to see the 2022 PowerUP! Winners
$20,000 First Place Award

Busola George - SoL-I Movement Center supports one of the most important cultual assets of New York City - our dancers. SoL-I will provide a spacious, physical place for the rehearsal that's instrumental to the success of any dance project.

$10,000 Second Place Award

Sally Ngoje - Maua Organics creates plant powered products for women with curly hair. The hero product, The Hair Bomb, is a solid, multi-functioning product that replaces hot-oil treatments, pre-shampoos, conditioners, and detanglers.

$5,000 Third Place Award

Daniel Katz - People's Heritage Tours is a unique walking history tour company that tells the forgotten history of ordinary people who, against terrific odds, made lasting changes which impact NYC communities and New Yorkers' lives today.

$1,000 Audience Choice Award

Carolou Goodridge - I Am Credence

$1,000 Merit Award Winners

Makini Diaz - Sign-N-Voice Xchange  provides educational materials that will initiate open conversation between the hearing and hearing-loss communities. 

LaToya Duncan - Good Grief Memorials is a customizable platform that brings the physical and virtual memorial service together in one space. The bereaved can revisti at their convenience to remember, grieve, and celebrate the life of a loved one. 

Carolou Goodridge - I Am Credence creates books with creative sensory elements, wooden toys that encourage imaginative play, and sustainable playwear for children ages 1-5.

Stephanie Petit Homeis - Petit Nursing Accessories provides comfortable, eco-friendly working gear and accessories for healthcare workers at a budget-friendly cost.

Phoebe Yung - DoggyDay is a neighborhood app where dog owners can find trustworthy people to watch their dogs for free, and dog lovers can interact with a dog without the burden of ownership. 

See Full List