SECAUCUS, N.J. (TIP): Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) recently named Secaucus-based Curiosity Lab Inc. a grand prize winner in the Wells Fargo Works Project contest, which ran from May 1 – June 30, 2015. This business was one of five entrants selected as a grand prize winner from a pool of 25 finalists. Curiosity Lab Inc., which is run by a former mechanical engineer and high school teacher Anubha Bhatla, will receive $25,000, along with six months of guidance and mentorship from a small business professional, as well as tailored solution for their business.
Small business owners from across the country were invited to enter the contest by submitting a short video or essay that answered five questions addressing why they became a business owner, their mission and purpose, and their business goals and objectives. In its second year, the contest drew more than 4,200 entries from a diverse range of small businesses across the country.
“I am so thrilled to receive this award from Wells Fargo,” said Anubha Bhatla, founder of Curiosity Lab, Inc. “I am grateful to Wells Fargo for believing in our ideas and providing us this incredible opportunity. Through supporting small business owners Wells Fargo is enriching lives at so many levels.”
Curiosity Lab Inc. is a science laboratory for youth, ages 2 to 15, which uses a four-step approach through science, engineering, math and workshops to ignite curiosity in children to explore the world around them. As a grand prize winner, founder Anubha Bhatla said she hopes to improve the company’s visibility, design a kid-sized laboratory, build a strong digital marketing strategy and develop a website.
The business was conceived out of the founder’s own curiosity and passion to find answers about how the world works around her. A former Columbia University teaching assistant and mechanical engineer, Anubha Bhatla admits she has always had an insatiable appetite to learn more. “Life is a question and everyone must find their own answer,” said Bhatla. Curiosity Lab, Inc. aims to spark the interests in students and build upon their inquisitiveness to learn about the world through fun, interactive, science teaching model and visual storytelling.
“Wells Fargo would like to congratulate Curiosity Lab Inc. on being named a grand prize winner in the Wells Fargo Works Project contest,” said Lisa Stevens, Wells Fargo’s head of Small Business. “We were thrilled to again engage business owners across the country through the contest, and we enjoyed hearing their inspirational stories of entrepreneurship. Working with small business owners is one of the most important things that we do, and we are committed to helping them create a path for long-term financial success through a wide range of tools and resources.”
The Wells Fargo Works Project contest is part of Wells Fargo Works for Small Business SM – a broad initiative to deliver resources, guidance and products to help business owners achieve financial success.
“With this award, we hope to expand our services to children throughout the Tri-state and partner with educational institutions to bring this model into the classrooms. Our goal is to ignite the curiosity in each and every child and help them build on their learning to find their true passion in life,” Bhatla added.
Wells Fargo recently expanded the support it offers business owners by launching the Business Plan Center.
The free online resource, available on WellsFargoWorks.com, features the Business Plan Tool, a step-by-step guide to develop a written business plan. It also offers a Competitive Intelligence Tool, which provides business owners with key insight on competitors and their market that can be used as part of the planning process.
Visit WellsFargoWorks.com/project to review contest entries, and learn more about Wells Fargo Works for Small Business.