Jane and Dave Sandelman have a crazy story. After living the corporate life, they opened an inn in southern Vermont that was one of the Top 10 Culinary Inns in America. Now, they run Cannatrol, a drying and curing system for cannabis.
Building a business is like tending the soil. It takes vision, patience, and the right conditions to thrive, or in simpler terms, “time and love.”
Welcome back to First Chair 🚠: Your rundown on Vermont’s startup scene brought to you by your friends at VCET.
Lisa Groeneveld co-founded OnLogic with her husband, Roland, in 2003. Headquartered in South Burlington, OnLogic designs and manufactures industrial computers. In this conversation, Lisa reflects on her entrepreneurial journey, the challenges and rewards of building a global company in Vermont, and her experience on the VCET board.
Rob Conboy, CEO of Glavel, shares his journey from working at Burton to founding a company that transforms recycled glass into sustainable insulation.
In the fall of 2012, Faraday launched in VCET’s former coworking space in Middlebury. The co-founders developed a model that used consumer and environmental data to predict who wanted to buy solar panels.
We’re spotlighting M&T Bank, a strategic partner. In this Q&A, we learn about the bank’s presence and mission in Vermont. Our guests include Mike Keegan, Head of Community Banking; and Heidi Stumpff, Regional President of Vermont.
Elizabeth Robinson has served on VCET’s board for the last 15 years. After growing up in South Burlington, Liz made the trip down Route 7 to study at Middlebury College, where she earned her degree in 1984. For the past couple of decades, Elizabeth has worked at her alma mater to establish well-run entrepreneurship and innovation programs.
Last year we said, “2024 is a time to build.” And build we did – together. This year wasn’t just about us; it was about the founders, dreamers, and doers laying the foundation to create something extraordinary.
Frank Cioffi is one of the founding directors of VCET and the current chair of their board. He has served as the President of GBIC since 1998 and is the longest-serving member of UVM’s Board of Trustees.
In this Q&A, we learn more about the program from Nicole Eaton, one of ARC’s early pioneers, and Rowan Godbout, the current student director.
Life is mostly defined by the choices we make or don’t make daily and their impacts over time. The same holds true for knowing when, or when not, to start a business.