In Total More than $40,000 Awarded to Brooklyn Entrepreneurs Including a Movie Theater and a Haitian Pickled Relish
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Brooklyn, NY—Brooklyn Public Library’s 22nd annual PowerUP business plan competition awarded over $40,000 to aspiring entrepreneurs in a ceremony late last week. Dime Community Bank presented the $20,000 grand prize to Mariana Silfa for Viva Art Studio, a Brooklyn-based and family-owned creative space dedicated to bilingual art education.
“Dime is one again this year’s Lead Sponsor, and proud supporter of the PowerUP Small Business Challenge by Brooklyn Public Library. For over 160 years, Dime has partnered with great organizations like Brooklyn Public Library to support the communities of New York. We believe that this program shines a light on the next generation of great business leaders and paves the way to an opportunity for success. We are proud and honored to be part of their journey,” said Steve Miley, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Dime Community Bank.
Second place and a prize of $10,000 was awarded to Maud and Ioan Delice for Pikliz Please, a cabbage-based vegetable relish beloved in Haiti. Third place and a prize of $5,000 was awarded to Karma Masselli for Shorts Movie Theater, a venue devoted to showing new and classic short films.
PowerUP first began in 2003 to provide businesses a helping hand after 9/11. Since then, the PowerUP contest has provided over $600,000 to over 200 entrepreneurs across the borough. Many of Brooklyn’s most successful and beloved businesses launched with help from PowerUP, including Bogota Latin Bistro, Island Pops, Argyle Yarn, Green in BKLYN, Brooklyn Tea, Greenlight Bookstore, and Tinsel Experiential Design, now a multi-million dollar company.
A judging panel of business owners, nonprofit leaders, and academics selected the 2025 winners, awarding Viva Art top prize from a field of over 465 entries, most of whom had no previous business experience.
“This year’s PowerUP finalists demonstrated imagination and fortitude in equal measure: from an art studio to a Minecraft club, and an AI-based app to help new immigrants,” said Linda E. Johnson, President and CEO, Brooklyn Public Library. “Congratulations to all of the participants and thank you to our sponsors who make the program possible.”
In addition to the top three prize winners, five participants were recognized with merit awards and $1,000 of seed money. The merit winners also pitched their ideas to the public, who voted in an online campaign for their favorite.
Catrina Bowen was awarded an additional $1,000 and the audience (public) favorite award for ProManage Services, a construction consulting firm specializing in managing the paperwork stages of projects during active building and close out.
The other merit winners were: Ramon Almodovar for Xmigra, an AI-driven Spanish-language platform to help immigrants navigate the complex immigration process; Jesse Aujero for Brooklearners, an educational enrichment program using Minecraft as a platform for learning; Tirrell Barronette for Reciboost, an e-commerce platform that transforms post-purchase receipts into personalized sales channels; and Maya Williams for Dimensional Dance Collective, a creative training space for young dancers, ages eight to eighteen, to strengthen their artistry and build real-world skills.
All participants attended free classes on subjects like marketing, business, finance, and the utilization of library resources. They also received one-on-one business plan assistance from successful entrepreneurs and business experts.
The PowerUP Business Plan Competition is generously supported by Dime Community Bank, lead sponsor of the program. Additional support is provided by Citizens, Data Axle Reference Solutions and Ridgewood Savings Bank.
About Brooklyn Public Library
Brooklyn Public Library is one of the nation’s largest library systems and among New York City’s most democratic institutions. Providing innovative library service for over 125 years, we support personal advancement, foster civic literacy, and strengthen the fabric of community among the more than 2.6 million individuals who call Brooklyn home. We are a global leader in the fight for the freedom to read through our Books Unbanned initiative, offering teens across the US access to the library’s online catalog. We provide nearly 65,000 free programs a year with writers, thinkers, artists, and educators—from around the corner and around the world. And we give patrons millions of opportunities to enjoy one of life’s greatest satisfactions: the joy of a good book.