First Veteran-Founded Startup Wins National Startup Competition: Darn Good Yarn Secures Dream Big Champion Title

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Oct. 31, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Dream Big America (www.DreamBigAmerica.us), powered by Sprint (www.Sprint.com), announced that Darn Good Yarn, a veteran-founded social startup, secured the highest number of votes in the monthly, bracket-style competition and is the October Dream Big Champion.

Darn Good Yarn (www.DarnGoodYarn.com), founded by Nicole Snow of Schenectady, NY, brings connection to crafting by employing women in India to handcraft yarns from reclaimed materials. Snow, a U.S. Air Force Veteran, created Darn Good Yarn as a way to take two of her passions in life, art and helping others, and combine them. The result was Darn Good Yarn: a yarn and fiber importer, wholesaler, and retailer.

However, Snow's mission is bigger than yarn. "For Darn Good Yarn, success is about the number of families we are able to provide with sustainable, year-round jobs. It is about the number of pounds of waste we are able to save from being thrown in the landfill," Snow explains. "It's not about creating a one-time crafting fad, but about helping to integrate these reclaimed and recycled craft products into everyone's stash, and as a result, create sustainable and viable work for the women who are making those products. We want to extend the reach of our good to as many families as possible and create connection from our producer to our consumer." 

Darn Good Yarn competed against two other companies in the Finals Round on October 24^th. Both Santa Signal and Hanger Hideaway gave a two-minute pitch of their business concepts to the national Dream Big America listening audience.

Following the show, listeners and supporters voted for their favorite startup company by visiting the Dream Big America website or by texting 'DBA' to 612-223-DREAM (612-223-7326). Darn Good Yarn received the highest number of votes, and therefore wins the title of October's Dream Big Champion and a prize package of marketing and PR support.  

Santa Signal (www.Santa-Signal.com), invented by Erik Knear of Riverside, CA, is a sound and light system that generates the lights and sounds of Santa Claus and his reindeer. Knear was inspired to create Santa Signal from his own child's experience. "My proudest moment was watching my son's reaction when he first heard Santa Claus and saw Rudolph's nose light up the fireplace. There was absolute magic in his eyes," said Knear.

Hanger Hideaway, invented by Renee Bentley of Meridian, ID, is a patented hanger storage solution. Bentley invented Hanger Hideaway out of her own necessity for a simple, hanger storage solution, and to avoid the age-old problem of untangling a pile of hangers. Hanger Hideaway is in the process of licensing and marketing.

You can learn more about Dream Big America at www.DreamBigAmerica.us, www.facebook.com/DreamBigAmerica, and www.twitter.com/DreamBigUSA.  

For more information about the Dream Big America competition or to schedule an interview with any of the Dream Big America participants please call Beth Chapman at 816.835.0306 or email.

Media Contacts:     
Beth Chapman, Dream Big America         
816.835.0306, Email

SOURCE Dream Big America

Related Links

http://www.dreambigamerica.us