Success stories

Success stories

  • Hootie Hoo owner, Xiaonan "Claire" Zhu, with their family

    Clothing Startup Helping Kids Stay Outside Longer

    Having a parka with a pocket designed specifically to hold a peanut butter and jelly sandwich may not be a must have necessity for most adults, but one Vermont mother is betting most adults want one...

  • A group of CQ Strategies standing on a dock, smiling at the camera.

    From Book Club to Supergroup

    It’s like a supergroup of advocates. Brian Hsiang has an experiential education background, Ita Meno-Baker was a housing inspector, Dr. Sherwood Smith was part of the diversity, engagement, and...

  • John DeMarinis poses next to materials in a warehouse.

    Thread of excellence runs through century-old tailor shop

    In 1914, a young Italian immigrant named Arthur DeMarinis purchased a building from the local railroad company in St. Albans, Vermont, and started a custom tailoring business, The Boston Tailoring Co...

  • Man with glasses sitting down while displaying his unique product offering

    Chair man took sitting down in a healthy direction

    This year a small business in Vermont sold its 11,000th chair less than five years after starting the company in the family home. “That number sounds crazy because it is, but it doesn’t feel as crazy...

  • Business woman smiles for the camera at her creative agency

    Woman-powered PR is not all that bad

    #badassladygang An apt description for a business with 16 employees (and growing), all of whom are women. "It isn't deliberate. We have offered positions to men; it's one of those things where all of...

  • Business owner proudly standing by their indoor shooting range

    Setting sights on a state-of-the-art dream

    Entering the store feels like entering an intimate Cabela's or Bass Pro Shop. The parking lot is spacious, the sales floor has high ceilings, the merchandise is meticulously displayed and there are...

  • Business man and woman gather in conference hall

    Vermont man gathers thousands

    There is a fine line between it being a show and it being a community. Once an individual becomes a “play-tron” and no longer a patron, it’s more about the community, not just the show. Play-trons is...

  • Young Italian immigrant buys building for a tailoring business in 1914

    Thread of excellence runs through century-old tailor shop

    In 1914, a young Italian immigrant named Arthur DeMarinis purchased a building from the local railroad company in St. Albans, Vermont, and started a custom tailoring business, The Boston Tailoring Co...