Today, Squarespace announced the winners of the fourth annual “Make It Awards,” a program launched in partnership with The New York Knicks in 2017 to provide tri-state area entrepreneurs with the funds and exposure they need to bring their businesses to the next level. “Make It Award” winners receive a $30,000 grant inspired by the investment Squarespace Founder and CEO Anthony Casalena received from his parents to launch the company in 2003.
Squarespace has seen first hand how entrepreneurs and small businesses have had to innovate and evolve over the past year amid the pandemic, making this initiative and grant more important now than ever before. This year, we received a record breaking number of submissions with more than a 100% increase in applications since the program first launched in 2017.
Learn more about the 2021 “Make It Awards” winners, It’s From The Sole, First Tech Fund, Popcorn for the People and IV Comfort Solutions below:
It's from The Sole is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focused on providing sneakers to the less fortunate in New York City and other metropolitan areas. The company has distributed more than 30,000 pairs of sneakers over the past 8 years in 14 different countries, all on a 100% volunteer basis.
First Tech Fund is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to supporting NYC students from low-income and underserved backgrounds, to ensure they have access to technology that will empower them and close the digital divide. First Tech Fund provides students with the tools and skills they need to thrive.
Popcorn for the People is a nonprofit dedicated to creating meaningful and sustainable employment for adults with Autism and other disabilities through the cooking, packaging, and selling of gourmet popcorn. They aim to combat the 80% unemployment rate in the Autistic community by creating the best popcorn, crafted by some of the best people, to create a more neurodiverse and accepting future within the workforce.
IV Comfort Solutions LLC (Medi Teddy) is on a mission to improve the hospital experience and normalize medical care for children who need infusions, transfusions and tube feedings. The IV bag cover, which is designed to look like a teddy bear, reduces anxiety for both patients and parents alike, with 95% of users reporting improved emotional well-being during an infusion and 46% reporting a reduction in pain.
In addition to the grant, winners receive a one-year subscription to Squarespace, a feature segment on MSG Networks and one-on-one mentorship from a member of the esteemed panel of judges that includes Knicks legend Walt “Clyde” Frazier, Malai Ice Cream owner Pooja Bavishi, Co-Founder of Street Dreams Magazine Steven “Sweatpants” Irby, Financial Gym owner & 2019 “Make It Awards” winner Shannon McLay, Entrepreneur & Creative Storyteller Bianca Jeanty, Filmmaker and Social Media Personality Nicolas “New York Nico” Heller, and Squarespace Founder and CEO Anthony Casalena, who returned as a judge for the fourth year.
Squarespace’s mission to help people with creative ideas stand out and succeed is strengthened each year by the “Make It Awards,” and the company’s long standing partnership with Madison Square Garden and The New York Knicks represents the commitment of both organizations to give back to New York in order to make a difference in the community. To learn more about the initiative, please visit www.makeitawards.com.