A dessert maker based in Long Island City’s Entrepreneur Space has just won a prestigious $20,000 award.
Charles Devigne – who makes cakes, mousses, and pies via the Harlem Baking Co. – was one of 10 winners of the 2024 NYC Boss Up Veteran Entrepreneurship Program competition. In addition to the financial grant, he will now participate in a year-long program to build his business and expand an entrepreneurial network via the NYC Department of Small Business’s FastTrac® GrowthVenture™ for Veterans.
Depending on the size, Devigne charges $6 to $9 for jars of Classic Key Lime Pie, Creamy Chocolate Mousse (Gluten Free), Molten Chocolate Cake, Original Cheesecake with Biscotti Crust, Homestyle Carrot Cake, Strawberry Cheesecake with Biscotti Crust, and Authentic Italian Tiramisu. The New York Sample Pack costs $46.
Born in France, Devigne started working in the food industry at age 14 after moving to the United States. After graduating high school, he served as a Bulk Fuel Engineer with the U.S. Marine Corps and obtained a degree in Fine Arts from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. The next stop was New York City, where he became a part owner of the Lexington Pizza Parlour at 1590 Lexington Ave. in East Harlem in 2015.
Business was good, but when the Covid lockdown began in 2020, his partners and he had to switch to delivery service only. This led to a discovery that their popular cheesecake item turned into a gooey mess in a to-go container. The solution? Glass jars!
The popularity of the jars — and the cheesecake — convinced Devigne to found Harlem Baking Co. with Thomas Liconte and go Big Time with desserts. (To avoid creating too much solid waste, he offers one free dessert jar for every five empty ones returned to Lexington Pizza.)
The Competition
Devigne was chosen from a pool of more than 100 applicants who submitted information on their personal stories, businesses, and future plans. After surviving three rounds of scrutiny, the winners had to pass pitch meetings and five-person panel interviews..
The other winners are Barton Rogers Group, Daniel LaMarco; Citi Fades Barbershop & SMP, Enrique Vargas; Flickinger Glassworks, Eric Powell; Harlem Standard, Brian DiMarco; Mecca’s City of Wholeness, Dr. Mecca Nelson; EQWAL Footing Boot Company, Natasha Standard; Qiqo, Sandra Nam and Lucas Cioffi; Telecommunication Electrical Contractors, Francisco Bueso Jr.; and Words Warriors, Myles B. Caggins III.
NYC Boss Up results from a partnership with NYC SBS, NYC Department of Veterans’ Services, the K & R Moelis Family Foundation, and FJC – A Foundation of Philanthropic Funds. Applicants must own a small business or be in the process of starting one. U.S veterans are eligible, but so are military spouses, children, siblings, and parents of service members who died as the result of active-duty service.
“The NYC Boss Up program has already helped veterans from all over the city grow their business through both direct grants and invaluable mentorship resources, and our expansion to serve military spouses and Gold Star Families is a wonderful opportunity to build on our work,” stated NYC Boss Up Founder Ron Moelis. “Small businesses are the backbone of our city and the key to our ongoing recovery.”
Editor’s note: Located at 36-46 37th St., the Entrepreneur Space is a food-and-business incubator that helps start-up and small food businesses grow through mentoring, one-to-one counseling, seminars, and other programs. Its primary offering is the rental of a huge commercial kitchen with ovens, walk-in refrigerators, utensils, and a parking lot. The venue also has production space, classrooms, enclosed offices, and semi-private workstations. It is a program of the Queens Economic Development Corporation and receives public and private funds from various sources.)
Images: Harlem Baking Company