Brenna Nan Schneider, the top winner of our Winter Accelerator Program, was recently featured in the Boston Herald. 

Read more about how she plans to revolutionize the apparel industry and have a big impact in Lawrence!

Click here to read the article!

On June 11th, we held our first ever Sandbox Summit! Over 200 people from around the nation were in attendance.

The Lowell Sun wrote up a great story about it.

Read More!

SLI has given me more confidence. I have been able to get to know my community better and show others that although we have barriers, we also have many resources. I have been able to explore and expand my resources.

Each class is a new opportunity to open new doors. The City of Lawrence has a lot of potential and has a lot of talent that still needs to be discovered and the Merrimack Valley Sandbox is knocking doors to discover all these hidden talents.

Some of the challenge that we have here in Lawrence include the language barrier, lack of communication with some providers, health disparities, and lack of support from local governments/

Being a Lawrence resident since I first came to this country has given me the strength to work and to settle for anything less. Being an immigrant city, Lawrence is a great target for social innovation. There are so many opportunities for new businesses and for people to make Lawrence their home.

Entrepreneur Profile: Mill City Grows

Lydia Sisson and Francey Slater are starting a green revolution!
Their organization Mill City Grows is using food as a tool to connect the community of Lowell.

 
What is Mill City Grows?
Lydia: Mill City Grows is an organization in Lowell that fosters food justice through creating urban food production sites that engage the community. We have two main programs:

• Food Access Programs & Urban Community Farms–creates new food access points in the city including a new Mobile Market
• Food education program–growing food safely in an urban environment, teach garden coordination, and leadership skills

Lydia Sisson of Mill City Grows

What inspired you to start it?
Francey: Lydia is a commercial farmer, so she has a lot of expertise with food production. I’m a teacher with a background in garden-based education. Through my experience, I really saw how food connects to people and connects people to each other. Looking at Lowell with a diversity of people who aren’t always connected to each other, it seemed like a great opportunity to bring people together.

Lowell community member gardening

What are some successes you have had so far?

2012

• Transformed one garden (forty beds in total)
• Launched Gardener Training Program, a 10 month workshop series with over 150 attendees
• Distributed thousands of pounds of produce through the Lowell Farmer’s Market

2013

• We are expanding to two more community gardens and one school garden (80 beds in total)
• Launched the Garden Coordinator Institute to train 23 new leaders in gardening and leadership skills
• Launched Urban Community Farm in May

Mill City Grows receives $5K in capital from the Sandbox

Why did you decide to take part in the Sandbox Accelerator Program?
Lydia: We were at the point where we really wanted to put some real resources into this community farm model. We knew the accelerator program would provide that framework to help us go forward. We were ready to take the our organization to the next level and wanted to think critically about how to achieve our mission while creating a social enterprise and revenue source for our programs.  We wanted to find a model that didn’t depend on grants to succeed, we wanted to find a way to work toward our mission and support it financially at the same time!

What did you get out of the program?
Lydia: It’s helped us get out of the program operations and be deadline oriented. Our mentor team is brilliant. They have helped us work through goals. The support network has helped—learning from our colleagues and presenters who come in and who talk about their experience as entrepreneurs. Lastly, the $5K capital that we were awardedwill be used to develop a year round growing system at our new Urban Community Farm, complete with a hoop house and low-tunnels as well as curriculum for our educational programs.

Can Mill City Grows be a model for other small urban cities across the country?
Francey: We are all for copycats! We have learned from others and now hope people will learn from us to create their own model. Food is a powerful tool that has the power to connect people. I hope in the long-term, people will see the value in what we are doing and decide to implement it in their own communities. 

Date: Thursday, May 9
Location: Offices of Moody, Famiglietti & Andronico (MFA)–Tewksbury, MA

Winners:

First Place ($1000) & Fan – Favorite ($500) – Aaron Burke & Russ Queen, mino

Second Place ($750) – Philip Colangelo, Robotic Feeding Arm

Third Place ($500) – Nick Zeckets, QuadWrangle, Inc. 

Final Presenters:

Aaron Burke & Russ Queen - mino by ParaWare LLC
Shoe accessory that tracks the wear of running shoes

Philip Colangelo – Robotic Feeding Arm
Robotic feeding arm device that gives individuals with debilitating physical or mental condition the ability to eat a meal themselves

Robie Currier - New England Analog
Keyboard controllers for musical instruments, that incorporate non-traditional methods of controlling music synthesizers

Joanna de Pena - Top Notch Network
Social network platform that creates scholarships for students – primarily inner city students

Margot Rutledge - Career Rings
Web-based platform that gives college students and recent college graduates dynamic, hands-on skill building process that gives them the knowledge, practice and experience necessary to effectively land a job and navigate their careers

Nick Zeckets - QuadWrangle, Inc.
App that complements existing alumni management tools for America’s colleges & universities with content and engagement tools to drive alumni giving. It curates school content, connect content to giving, facilitate career networking, and drive in-person networking

Special Guest Judges:

Pradeep Aradhya - CEO, Novus Laurus, LLC

Trish Fleming - Executive Director, MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge

Matt Pettine - Managing Director of IT Advisory Practice, Moody, Famiglietti & Andronico

Nancy Saucier - Associate Director of New Venture Development, UMass Lowell

Chester Szablak - EVP/Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, Enterprise Bank

Special Thanks to our Sponsors: 

Brenna Nan Schneider, the top winner of our Winter Accelerator Program, was featured today on MSNBC’s Up with Steve Kornacki!

Brenna was invited on to be a panelist on the show to talk about the recent garment factory tragedy in Bangladesh and the human cost of cheap labor.

Watch Clip 1!

Watch Clip 2!

Merrimack Valley Magazine recently wrote a great article about the Sandbox, specifically entrepreneurs who participated in our Winter Accelerator Program.

Take a look! 

Over 100 Student & Youth Entrepreneurs

Present Ideas at 2013 Catalyst Showcase

Click here for event photos!

On April 24^th, the Sandbox held its 2013 Catalyst Showcase at the Everett Mills in Lawrence. Over 100 student and youth entrepreneurs showcased their innovative ideas from various sectors such as food, fashion, education, and tech. The Sandbox Catalyst Program works with high schools, colleges, and community youth groups to provide connections, support, and seed grants to students and youth to try out their entrepreneurial ideas. Since the beginning of 2011, the Catalyst Program has funded over 600 student and youth entrepreneurs.

Ideas at the showcase included a hybrid power tricycle for special-needs children with poor leg/core strength, tasty homemade cupcakes, and fashionable handmade jewelry. 

“I had a great time showcasing Grab a Bite, a website to help students get deals on local restaurants, at the 2013 Sandbox Catalyst Showcase,” says Aldo Beqiraj, a senior Electrical Engineering student at UMass Lowell. “I made a lot of great connections and got valuable feedback. This experience will no doubt help me take my business idea to the next level.”

After the showcase, the Catalysts had the opportunity to hear from special guest speakers including (from left to right)

• Lane Glenn – President, Northern Essex Community College
• Desh Deshpande – Co-Founder, Deshpande Foundation
• Jeffrey White – Chief Creativity Officer, Rightside Shirts

To end the evening, we had a pitch contest that featured eight dynamic Catalysts. They bravely got up on stage and gave their pitches.

These Catalysts made their pitches in front of five special guest judges (from left to right)

• Evan Schapiro – Founder & President, Meerkat Technology & MKtix.com
• Deb Gurry – Owner, Union Street Grill & Bell Tower Cafe
• Zoila Gomez – Owner, Law Office of Zoila Gomez
• Louis Soares – Assistant Vice President & Bank Manager, Eastern Bank (Lowell)
• Mary Guerrero – Owner, Cafe Azteca & El Taller

Here is a list of the winners:

1st Place – Hybrid Power Tricycle (UMass Lowell)

2nd Place – College Power (Merrimack College)

3rd Place – Crazy Joes (CTI – YouthBuild Lowell)

Special thanks to our Catalysts and Partners who made this a great year. We will see you in the fall!

On April 18th, we held our Local Pitch Contest at the Church of God of Prophecy in Lawrence. See all the details below!

Click here for Event Photos!

Winners

First Place ($1000) - Markus Haala, MHM Studios Printmaking

Second Place ($750) - Erin V. Freeborn, Juvenile Court Restorative Justice Diversion

Third Place ($750) - John Raser – Bicicocina: Human Powered Bike and Skate Shop

Fan-Favorite ($500) - Rafael Rosa & Kathy Ruiz, ENERGY (Exercise Now Everyday Regularly and Grow Younger) Fitness Training
 
Special Guest Judges

• Nelson Butten – Co-Executive Director, Lawrence CommunityWorks 
• Dalia Diaz – Founder, Rumbo
• Benny Espaillat – Owner, Zapato Aqui Shoe Store
• Fred Faust – President, Edge Group, Inc. 
• Heidi Feinstein – Founder & CEO, Life Alive 
• Steve Ives - President & CEO, Merrimack Valley YMCA

Final Presenters

Cassandria Cambell & Jackson Renshaw – Fresh Food Generation
Food truck organization that aims to provide healthy affordable cooked foods to low-income neighborhoods with limited food access.

Erin V. Freeborn – Juvenile Court Restorative Justice Diversion
Offers an innovative way to deal with youth crime offenders that allows the offender to accept responsibility for his/her actions , reducing repeat offending, which ensures justice for the victim and community while exploring the root causes of the crime.

Markus Haala – MHM Studios Printmaking
Merrimack Valley’s only printmaking studio to serve artists in the area. The purpose of the studio is to promote and teach printmaking, network with artists/printmakers and to provide a versatile workspace with professional equipment.

Sam Hy – The Medallion Movement
Handcrafted leather medallions that represent Khmer art and culture.

John Raser – Bicicocina: Human Powered Bike and Skate Shop
Shop in Lawrence that will be a low cost provider of basic bicycle, skateboard, and other non-motorized transportation service and parts. They will salvage used bicycles, engage youth through workshop space and programming, and provide a platform for active transportation advocacy.

Rafael Rosa & Kathy Ruiz – ENERGY (Exercise Now Everyday Regularly and Grow Younger) Fitness Training
ENERGY is a low cost, customized personal training that changes people’s lives, helping them avoid serious health problems. Workouts are based on the client’s individual fitness level for maximum results.

Special Thanks to our Sponsors

On April 24th, over 100 student and youth entrepreneurs showcased their ideas at the 2013 Catalyst Showcase.

Check out pics from the event!