Senator Shaheen Celebrates National Small Business Week 2017
**Visits Dover-based, environmentally-friendly food producer Popzup; honors Lebanon-based Celdara Medical as New Hampshire’s ‘Small Business Person of the Year’**
**99 percent of Granite State employers are small businesses; more than half of New Hampshire employees work for a small business**
(Washington, DC) – As the nation celebrates National Small Business Week (April 30-May 6), Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the lead Democrat on the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship, today kicked off the week with a visit to Dover-based Popzup and recognized the achievements of Jake Reder, Celdara Medical cofounder and New Hampshire’s 2017 ‘Small Business Person of the Year.’
Every year since 1963, the President has issued a proclamation announcing National Small Business Week to acknowledge the contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and 29 million small business owners and their work creating 21st century jobs, driving innovation and increasing America’s competitiveness.
Small businesses create two out of every three new jobs in the United States each year. In New Hampshire, 99 percent of Granite State employers are small businesses and more than half of New Hampshire’s private workforce is employed by a small business.
“New Hampshire is a small business state. In fact, 99 percent of our employers are considered a small business,” said Senator Shaheen. “I salute the small businesses across our state for the enormous contributions they make to our local economies and our Granite State culture. With early help from the Small Business Administration, the founders of small businesses like Popzup and Celdara Medical have created thriving companies and demonstrate the timeless values of innovation and risk-taking that define America’s spirit of entrepreneurship.”
Dover-based Popzup is a family-owned business that created a health-conscious microwave popcorn product in November 2015. The company's popcorn is environmentally friendly and sourced from American farms that do not use GMO products.
Popzup owners, Julie and Marty Lapham, relied on counseling from a New Hampshire-based Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to win a $10,000 prize competition and continue to rely on the center for ongoing guidance.
As part of National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) highlights the impact of outstanding entrepreneurs and small business owners from all 50 states and territories. New Hampshire’s ‘Small Business Person of the Year’ is Dr. Jake Reder, Ph.D., cofounder, director and CEO of Celdara Medical, LLC in Lebanon, New Hampshire
Jake Reder cofounded Celdara Medical in 2008. He has assembled a team of highly regarded scientists who give hope and health to patients by transforming academic innovations into medicines that aim to cure the world’s most challenging diseases. The company secured funding through the SBA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program for several of its projects.
Under Shaheen’s leadership, Congress extended SBIR and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs for five years in 2016. Both programs have a proven track record, enabling entrepreneurs in New Hampshire and across the country to engage in the research and development that keeps the United States at the forefront of innovation.
To learn more about National Small Business Week visit: www.sba.gov/smallbusinessweek.
