MILLSTONE: Business seeks support for next step

MILLSTONE — Kona Benellie Designs, a local business, has applied for a $150,000 grant from Chase as part of a newly launched program, Mission Main Street Grants.
Kona Benellie must submit a questionnaire outlining a business plan that will result in growth of the business and receive at least 250 votes to be eligible for a grant. Customers, fans and community members can show support for Kona Benellie by voting at www.missionmainstreetgrants.com/business/detail/521.
The voting deadline is Oct. 17 and grant recipients will be selected by expert panelists. Through Mission Main Street Grants, Chase will award $3 million to small business across America. The 20 grant recipients will be announced in January 2015.
"The impact $150,000 would have on our business and on shelter dogs is astounding," Jessica Mashkevich, founder of Kona Benellie, said. "Receiving this grant would enable us to expand our distribution of the throwbee and other designs that help make peoples lives easier. We would be able to create jobs right here in our own community as we continue to bring comfort to people, pets, and shelter dogs all over the country."
MS. Mashkevich created Kona Benellie Designs in 2010 to make people’s lives easier through versatile comfort. A pet-lover to say the least, she named the company after her golden retriever "Kona." She created the first and only four-in-one "OmniRobe," which appeared on the TODAY Show soon after it launched. Her innovative spirit and mission of "comfort for all," has since brought the "throwbee blanket-poncho" and the "Kona Pet Blanket."
After a visit to a local animal shelter and in-line with her mission of "comfort for all," she evolved her comfort-focused company into a social enterprise that would help bring comfort to shelter dogs.
"We give a new blanket to a dog in need for every product purchased," she said. "Our story of giving becomes our customer’s story of giving and impacts the life of a dog forever."For additional details about Kona Bennelie Designs, visit www.konabenellie.com. For more information about the Mission Main Street Grants, visit www.MissionMainStreetGrants.com.