Long Island firms win $25K small business grants – Long Island Business News

THE BLUEPRINT:

• Little Feet Big Steps and Freeport Ninja Academy awarded $25K.

• Grants funded by Optimum Business and the LIA Foundation.

• Funds will improve facilities and expand services to the community.

Little Feet Big Steps and Freeport Ninja Academy awarded $25K.

Grants funded by Optimum Business and the LIA Foundation.
Funds will improve facilities and expand services to the community.

Two Long Island businesses are the grand prize recipients of the second annual L.O.C.A.L. Small Business Grants.
The grant program is an initiative of Optimum Business – a provider of fiber internet, mobile and TV services – and the LIA Foundation, the charitable arm of the Long Island Association.
North Babylon-based Little Feet Big Steps and Freeport Ninja Academy each received a $25,000 grant and a $5,000 television advertising campaign from Optimum Media.
Building on an initial $5,000 grant in the first round of the grant program, the grand prize is designed to further empower each business to grow and make a lasting impact in their communities.

At Little Feet Big Steps, a licensed daycare center that used the initial $5,000 grant for a greenhouse program, owner Yohaina Martinez will put the $25,000 towards replacing a broken, 25-year-old furnace and covering essential operational costs. With that support, the daycare center can then enroll “more children currently on the daycare’s waitlist” and expand “opportunities for local families,” according to a news release about the grant.
At Freeport Ninja Academy – where kids and adults of all skill levels can build confidence and tackle ninja-style obstacles inspired by NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior” – owner Kathryn Gawrych put the initial $5,000 towards building brand awareness. With the additional $25,000, the funding will be directed “towards making enhancements to the facility and replacing wear and tear, which the business has not been able to do since opening in January 2020 prior to the pandemic,” according to the news release.
“Since the launch of this grant program in 2024 with the LIA Foundation, Optimum Business has provided half a million dollars into supporting Long Island’s small businesses, a reflection of our dedication to the vibrant communities in the area,” Andrew Rainone, senior vice president of national sales at Optimum, said in the news release.
“At Optimum, we recognize that small businesses are the backbone of local economies, and we are proud to champion their growth through these grand prize grants. We remain committed to empowering entrepreneurs and look forward to witnessing their ongoing success and the lasting positive impact they’ll make across Long Island,” Rainone said.
“Working alongside Optimum Business to award more than 90 grants to Long Island businesses over the past two years has been truly inspiring,” Matt Cohen, president and CEO of the Long Island Association, said in th news release.
“Small businesses fuel our local economies, and they are run by and employ our families, friends, and neighbors,” Cohen said. “This grant process confirmed what we suspected to be true – while businesses are still recovering from the pandemic five years ago, they are resilient, innovative, and committed to our communities here on Long Island. We are thrilled have the opportunity to support small businesses in a meaningful way because of the generosity of Optimum Business through the $5,000 grants and expand our impact with these grand prizes.”
 

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