BCW’s WIN Program Awards Grants to Starteryou and White Plains High School for Innovation Excellence

The Business Council of Westchester awarded $2,500 grants to Starteryou and White Plains High School for their outstanding performance in the Westchester Innovation Network (WIN), which matches innovators with established companies and institutions to facilitate growth and collaboration.

The BCW WIN recognized both recipients for their commitment to fostering workforce development and entrepreneurship among young people.

“The Business Council of Westchester is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs make the vital connections they need to drive job growth and bring new ideas to the local business community,” said BCW President and CEO Marsha Gordon.

Starteryou, an employment and internships platform founded by Michael Berlingo, received the award following Starteryou’s establishment of successful relationships with local universities. The platform aims to remove barriers for young job seekers, such as complex interfaces found on traditional professional networking sites.

Since its launch, Starteryou has registered over 2,000 students and 150 companies, expanding its network to include students at Pace University, Mercy University and Purchase College. Berlingo, who received mentorship through the WIN program from BCW member Sunni Lampasso, CEO of Shaping Success, envisions a platform that helps students understand the job-hunting process and connects local employers with a talented student workforce.

“Our goal is to become the central platform exclusively for students, the place where they find their first role, from part-time and seasonal positions to internships and early career opportunities. Every opportunity is designed for students and only students,” said Berlingo, urging anyone who wants to get involved in his mission to email contact@starteryou.com.

The BCW WIN recognized White Plains High School for its INCubatoredu entrepreneurship program, a rigorous full-year elective where students develop future-ready skills as they build their own products and services. The program collaborates with BCW members who serve as volunteer coaches and mentors, guiding and advising student teams through the startup process—from identifying an opportunity, developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and presenting their end of year product pitch to a board of entrepreneurs and business executives.

Rocco Varuolo, the school’s program coordinator, said the $2,500 grant is essential for the program’s practical application.

“The funding is used to buy the equipment because it can get a little expensive, depending on what they develop as a project,” said Varuolo. “The support provided by BCW and WIN to the program and our students is very much appreciated.”

The funds will assist aspiring student entrepreneurs in building prototypes for their inventions.

About the Westchester Innovation Network (WIN)

The Business Council of Westchester launched WIN to foster emerging ideas, drive research and discovery, and cultivate job growth in Westchester County. The program commits to proving that Westchester is the ideal landing pad for lofty ideas by facilitating connections between dynamic startups and local institutions.