Following a Record 156,000+ Votes, DailyCandy Names Winners in Its Third-Annual Start Small, Go Big Contest Jumpstarting the Careers of Six Up-and-Coming Entrepreneurs

NEW YORK, Sept. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, DailyCandy, the original trusted source for handpicked discoveries of fashion, food and fun, unveiled the six winning small businesses in its third annual Start Small, Go Big (#SSGB) contest, sponsored by small business credit card portfolio Ink^SM from Chase. America logged a record 156,000+ votes during the two-week voting period, weighing in daily on their favorites among 18 finalists hand-selected by the ultimate discovery experts -- the DailyCandy editorial team.

The winners across the six categories of the 2012 DailyCandy Start Small, Go Big contest are:

• FASHION: Lauren Nevada, an edgy up-and-coming Brooklyn-based vintage-inspired women's designer
• FOOD + DRINK: Honeysuckle Gelato (@honeysuckleatl), Southern-inspired gelato and sorbet made from local ingredients in Atlanta
• HEALTH + BEAUTY: Soap Cartel (@soapcartel), NYC-based purveyor of artisanal and natural products for the bath, body and home
• HOME:  Uprise  Art (@UpriseNYC), a private club for art collectors allowing members to rent art while paying the artist
• DIGITAL & TECH (new category for 2012): Taste Savant (@tastesavant), a curated restaurant discovery site for the savvy diner
• MOST INVENTIVE AWARD, SPONSORED BY INK FROM CHASE (new category for 2012): Apt 2B (@APT2B), an LA-based home shop that resells slightly used furniture targeted at 20-somethings looking for inexpensive stylish furnishings

The entrepreneurs at the helms of these six winning businesses will receive an all-expense paid trip to the DailyCandy Start Small, Go Big Academy on Oct. 9 & 10 in NYC. This once-in-a-lifetime experience will include a series of one-on-one mentoring sessions with a roster of industry luminaries including: C.Wonder's Chris Burch, Etsy's Matt Stinchcomb; Chef, Author & Restaurateur David Burke, interior design guru Jonathan Adler; fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff;  home guru Christiane Lemieux of DwellStudio; Lev Glazman & Alina Roytberg of Fresh; indie designer Lauren Moffatt, One Kings Lane founders Susan Feldman and Alison Pincus; TLC's What Not To Wear hair stylist Ted Gibson; food critic Gail Simmons; Georgetown Cupcake's Katherine Kallinis and Sophie LaMontagne; founder of Lover.ly, Kellee Khalil, founder of Go Try It On, Marissa Evans and more. Winners will also meet with experts in the fields of marketing, public relations, finance, venture capital funding, product, and technology -- arming them with valuable know-how and empowering them to enhance their business plans for successful future growth.

In addition to expert advice and ongoing professional counsel, winners receive invaluable endorsement on DailyCandy's various platforms and gain career-changing exposure among some of the most engaged and loyal readers in the digital community. Support includes a proverbial 'stamp of approval' from DailyCandy's trendspotting network of editors, a dedicated promotional email campaign to DailyCandy's multi-million network of subscribers, visibility on the company's website, promotion to DailyCandy's 1 million+ Twitter followers/fans, and an invitation to attend a blowout bash held in their honor, where they'll mix and mingle with movers and shakers in the digital media, tech, food, beauty, and fashion industries.

The DailyCandy Start Small, Go Big Contest capitalizes on DailyCandy's unique power to launch the next big thing and provides the needed tools to take these undiscovered businesses to the next level. During the voting period, all eighteen finalists experienced "The DailyCandy Effect" first-hand, seeing a lift in sales, website traffic, partnership and media interest just from being nominated in the contest. Moreover, the strength of the DailyCandy brand is why merchants choose to partner with DailyCandy Deals, as proven in a recent study by B2B International. For this year's six winning businesses, that positive impact will continue as evidenced by last year's winners, including Iva Jean, Quinn Popcorn, Cold Spring Apothecary, and Amelia, who have gone on to open new stores, expand their product offerings, and distribute product to upscale must-eat restaurants and stores nationwide.

The Start Small, Go Big site serves as a resource for new business owners looking for insights, tips, and invaluable early-day resources. Visitors can follow the continued growth of past contest winners and hear counsel from industry experts who've blazed the trail to success.  To learn more, visit www.dailycandy.com/startsmallgobig.

About DailyCandy
DailyCandy is the original, trusted source for handpicked discoveries of fashion, food and fun. DailyCandy editors find the genuine, the next and the unique for more than six million readers- nationally and via 11 local city editions. Come enjoy the hunt, the scoop and the share – and the sweetest deals in your city. Explore from your inbox, at DailyCandy.com and on these social networks: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Foursquare, Tumblr, and YouTube. DailyCandy is a unit of NBCUniversal's Entertainment & Digital Networks and Integrated Media.

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