Seven area small businesses were recently awarded a total of $35,000 in funding through the Financial Lending and Innovation Collaborative spearheaded by Alvernia University’s O’Pake Institute. In this photo left to right are: Jack Short; Carol Gonzalez, founder of Clean Done Rite LLC; Marisa Bishop; Lizette Epps, director of the collaborative; Pamela Shupp-Menet, director of community and economic development; and Nicholas Nutile. (PHOTO COURTESY THE O’PAKE INSTITUTE)

Seven area small businesses were recently awarded a total of $35,000 in funding through the Financial Lending and Innovation Collaborative (FLIC), spearheaded by Alvernia University’s O’Pake Institute.

The awards were presented to the for-profit and non-profit companies by the O’Pake Institute and Berks County — which partnered on the institute’s latest round of business pitches and funding allocations.

Each company was awarded $5,000 to use for their companies. The recipients include:

• Clean Done Rite LLC, which will use its award to invest in equipment and marketing services

• Co-Exist Build, which will use its funding to acquire equipment

• Kangen Water of Reading, which will use its award to lease space

• Franklyn’s Breakfast, Burgers and Shakes, will receive its award at a separate grand reopening ceremony later this month

• Now All Must Evolve (N.A.M.E.), which will use its award to pay for legal fees and 501(c)(3) registration

• Sustainable Misfits, which will use its award to pay for legal fees and 501(c)(3) registration

• PMT Warriors Basketball, which will use its award to fund program operations

“This grant is going to help my business as it gives me the opportunity to purchase the high-end machinery needed coupled with purchasing specialized non-toxic cleaning products,” Carol Gonzalez, founder of Clean Done Rite LLC, said in a statement. “Receiving this grant makes me feel encouraged and motivated to further establish my business. This will help me to finally have a self-sustaining residential and office cleaning business.”

Funds for this third round of Financial Lending and Innovation Collaborative business pitches were provided in part through a grant from the Berks County Commissioners including Commissioner Christian Y. Leinbach, chairman; Commissioner Michael S. Rivera, vice chairman; and Commissioner Lucine E. Sihelnik. This is the first Financial Lending and Innovation Collaborative award using county funding.

“Implementing the IMAGINE Berks economic development plan requires collaboration and partnerships as we allocate resources,” Pamela Shupp Menet, director of community and economic development, said in a statement. “The FLIC program at the O’Pake Institute is meeting a key strategy directing financial support to an important population in our community — small businesses and entrepreneurs.”

The Financial Lending and Innovation Collaborative microgrant program focuses on supporting businesses and investing in the potential of their future success, according to Lizette Epps, director of the collaborative.

“Our unique hands-on experiential learning model provided by the students to the entrepreneurs and small businesses sends a clear message to all involved: trying matters, process matters, and learning along the way matters most,”  she said in a statement.

Rodney S. Ridley Sr., Alvernia University vice president of research, economic development and innovation said it’s because of partnerships like the one the university has with the county, “and initiatives like IMAGINE Berks that we can continue fueling innovation, entrepreneurship, and regional economic growth in Greater Berks County.”

Students in the O’Pake Fellows Program and the O’Pake Finance Committee assisted the funding candidates prior to their pitch — providing Spark Business Incubator services such as business plan development, financial statements, financial literacy, and pitch deck preparation.