Wow, how time flies!
The last time we checked in was way back in frosty February and since then we have been busy at work on all sorts of exciting things.
Vermont's seasons truly are a miracle to behold. With February and the worst of the winter cold behind us it was time to herald the arrival of spring with her gift of renewal, rebirth and in our case, innovation.
The team at Authentic Designs was invited to participate in the Bennington County Intrapreneur Challenge, a program hosted by the non-profit, Lever, which challenges mature companies to launch a new product or service that will grow revenues and create jobs. In competition with four other local finalists for a chance to win $25k, Authentic Designs set to work developing a plan to launch a new line of lighting; high quality, handcrafted Solar Powered and Battery Operated Lights.
After weeks of market research and with a couple of early prototypes in hand, CEO Michael and his two sons, Sam and Luke (myself) met on a sunny day in Arlington, VT to pitch our new innovation to a panel of judges and a room full of locals, business owners and media outlets.
We proudly shared our plans to launch a new line of solar powered and battery powered lighting. In addition to being powered by renewables, this new line will be in keeping with our mission of sustainability as now and into the future our lights are built to last a lifetime. Unfortunately, Authentic Designs did not come in first in the competition but we were awarded runner up! The challenge was a great opportunity to breathe in new life and we were working hard to launch this new and exciting line. Watch this space for more updates and sneak peak previews as this project develops.
With the end of the challenge we returned to the workshops renewed and spurred on by warmer weather, the return of song birds and our landscape's transformation from mottled browns to vibrant greens.
Spring, in all her splendor, leaves as quickly as she arrived and in her wake the frenzied summer sets in. While the rest of the world was off on vacation, our shop had a chance to catch its breath and during that time we launched a brand new website!
With a fresh new look and feel the site offers new collections and a design hub to ensure our clients get exactly what they need for their upcoming projects. Plus, we're offering free shipping on all of our standard line within the Continental US.
As summer slowly but surely drifts towards autumn we will try and be better about sharing more often on our blog. If you don't already, follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook to get near daily updates of what's happening around the shop.