New England Dance Studio Wins Nav's $10,000 Small Business Grant

SALT LAKE CITY, Oct. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Nav, the simple and intelligent financing platform for small businesses, today announced Thr3e Live Dance Complex ("Thr3e Live") is the latest $10,000 grand prize winner of its Small Business Grant. Thr3e Live is a dance studio focused on expanding access to the arts in New England. Nikki Gyftopoulos and Tjay Martino, Thr3e Live's co-owners and founders, will use the funds to open a larger studio in Providence, RI and reach more dancers from all walks of life.

"This year, winning the Nav Small Business Grant takes on an even more profound meaning. Many small business owners have long needed access to capital in order to make their dreams a reality, but this pandemic and resulting economy means securing those funds is more urgent than ever," said Greg Ott, Nav CEO. "We're honored to help Thr3e Live's co-owners Nikki and Tjay build on the success they've already achieved by using this grant to open a new studio, keep their team employed, and provide their community with affordable access to the arts."

Thr3e Live co-owners Nikki and Tjay both turned to dance at a young age as an outlet of expression and source of community. In 2019, after recognizing that the traditional dance studio pricing model is costly and unattainable for many people, they started Thr3e Live. The business was created to allow people of all ages, races, and levels to experience the physical and emotional benefits of dance.    

"We want anyone to feel comfortable to walk in the doors of our complex and explore the endless possibilities of dance and movement," said Nikki Gyftopoulos, co-owner at Thr3e Live. "Most dance studios in our area are traditional in nature, they have young students and monthly tuitions and recitals. Instead, we offer drop-in dance classes, focusing mostly on hip-hop and street styles of dance. This unique model creates a welcoming environment that makes the arts more accessible, affordable, and flexible for people of all ages, levels, and backgrounds."

Nav will also award a $5,000 runner-up prize to The Boho Market, a Dallas-based marketplace that features goods by local makers, curators and artisans. Its founder and owner, Taylor Milbauer, and her husband and The Boho Market Partnerships Director, James Trammell, will use the funds to bolster their ecommerce platform, The Boho Market Online™, and to continue supporting fellow small businesses in Texas and beyond.

The Nav Small Business Grant was established in 2018 to raise awareness for the challenges entrepreneurs face in building their business. Since, it has awarded $95,000 to small businesses across the country. Earlier this year, winners of Nav's $10,000 grand prize included Three Tree Coffee, a mission-driven coffee shop, and Che Butter Jonez, an Atlanta-based food truck.

The next round of Nav's Small Business Grant and the final round of 2020 is now open for applications. Learn more about the grant and how to apply here.

About Nav
Nav uses real business data to quickly match small businesses with the best loans and credit cards. The leading Business Financial Management app, Nav's intelligent business financing solution powers insights and opportunities for daily financial decisions that fuel their success. Nav's solution is also leveraged by other business service providers to enhance their customer experience. More about Nav is available at Nav.com.

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