CAN DO partnered once again with students from the Hazleton Area High School Arts and Humanities Academy and Mural Club's Visual Arts Studio 3 for a painting project on the windows at CAN DO's property at 21-23 West Broad Street in Hazleton. Pictured are, from left: Anne Flowers, teacher/club advisor; Valerie Tirado; Fremely Peredes Torres; Lacy Curvey; and Aidalisa Diaz. CAN DO would like to thank the students for their dedication and sharing their talents with the community.
A collaboration between THInC partners CAN BE and the Hazleton Launchbox supported by Pasco Schaivo, Esq., as well as Penn State University’s Happy Valley LaunchBox, helped an entrepreneur grow her business from a literal seed into a reality.
After graduating from the Happy Valley LaunchBox, powered by PNC Bank’s FastTrack Accelerator program in the spring of 2021, Krista Schneider, founder of Shared Roots, landed the initial funding she needed to formally launch her business when she won the 19th annual tecBRIDGE Business Plan Competition non-collegiate competition.
At Shared Roots, Schneider takes waste products (spent grain and hops) from the Berwick Brewing Company and upcycles them into biodegradable garden squares made with recycled paper that are pre-seeded and ready to plant. As they decompose, they feed the soil with vital nutrients and organic matter while fending off weeds until the seeds germinate.
When Lindsey Barnes decided to turn her sweet idea for a business into a reality, she found the support she needed to launch her operation through The Hazleton Innovation Collaborative (THInC) and the Hazleton Kitchen Incubator.
As with many start-up entrepreneurs, Barnes began L&B's Sweet Treats, which makes a variety of hand-dipped chocolate confections, at the request of family and friends who were looking for desserts for their special occasions.
In fact, Barnes said she initially got the idea for the business while planning her wedding. The unexpected free time she had during the COVID-19 pandemic helped her launch the operation.