NJBIA Presents $15K Winning Check to Big Shot Contest Winner Kingsway Learning Center

The New Jersey Business & Industry Association presented Big Shot contest winner Kingsway Learning Center with a $15,000 check today, while the South Jersey non-profit also received the start of free consulting from contest partners at NJBIA headquarters in Trenton.

Kingsway Learning Center, which offers special education services to better meet the needs of children and adults in Haddonfield and Moorestown, was announced as the winner of NJBIA’s online video contest judged by member panelists earlier this month.

“It’s our great pleasure to present these winnings to Kingsway Learning Center today, as we know they will put them to great use,” said NJBIA President and CEO Michele Siekerka.

“Just as NJBIA strives to offer unique products and services to its members, Kingsway does amazing work meeting the needs of children and their families. We hope they are able to use the money and consultations to take their business to the next level. Congratulations to Kingsway Learning Center on a job well done.”

A video link to the presentation of the $15,000 check to Kingsway Learning Center by Siekerka and contest partner Mike Luzio, of the LVE Group, can be found here.

“We are thrilled to have been selected as the winners of the NJBIA Big Shot Contest,” said Kingsway Learning center CEO Christine Robinson. “We know it must have been a very difficult decision for the panel with so many worthy applicants. 

“With the financial and consulting assistance, we will be able to move forward with our plans for an adult program which will provide vocational training for individuals with special needs over the age of 21. Thank you to Michele Siekerka, Mike Luzio, the NJBIA panel, and all members of the NJBIA for this opportunity.”

NJBIA’s Big Shot contest was launched on Oct. 3. Entrants had until Nov. 30 to upload a short video to www.bigshotnj.com explaining why their business deserves its own Big Shot at the winnings. In December, the three finalists were selected. In addition to Kingsway Learning Center, the other two finalists were:

• Jersey Girls Food Tours: A unique, Jersey City-based service that introduces local restaurants and chefs to the public via guided tours throughout New Jersey.
• SERVPRO – A SERVPRO franchisee serving Atlantic City, Hamilton and Hammonton in Atlantic County and Haddon Heights and Voorhees in Camden County specializing in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after fire, smoke or water damage.

For the Big Shot campaign, NJBIA teamed up with New Jersey-based entrepreneur, CEO and business consultant Mike Luzio to attract contest participants and spread the word about NJBIA’s valuable toolbox of member services.

Each finalist collaborated with Luzio to create another video about their businesses. A panel of NJBIA member business owners – not competing in the contest – judged the videos of the three finalists and selected Kingsway Learning Center as the grand prize winner.

“I was really struck by the tremendous work that that Kingsway Learning Center does for children and their families,” said Luzio, who started a business in his basement in 2004 for $15,000 and 10 years later sold it for millions. “Kingsway is a tremendous asset to the communities it serves, and now it’s time for Kingsway to grow the business with the prizes it earned in the contest. I can’t wait to track the progress.”

Following the presentation of the $15,000 check today, Kingsway Learning Center was provided consultations from participating NJBIA member businesses which voted on the winner. They include: Laura L. Ditommaso, Smolin Lupin & Co.; Thomas Foschino, Arch Insurance; Sandra Seastream, Direct Energy; Angelo Mendola, Priority Payments Local; Harvey Mishkin, Association Master Trust; Jeffrey J. Corradino, Jackson Lewis; Leon Grassi, The DSM Group; Mike Luzio, the LVE Group; and Sivaraman Anbarasan, The New Jersey Community College Consortium.

More information on the contest, including all videos from the winner, finalists and entrants, can be found at www.bigshotnj.com. Visit Mike Luzio’s YouTube channel here and his Facebook page here