Alumni - Business Directory


Vermont Academy encourages characteristics such as ingenuity and independence in our students. We love seeing these traits come to life through alumni entrepreneurship. Support fellow alumni by considering the products, venues, and services provided by these companies.

To have your alumni-owned business added to this directory, submit this Google Form. You'll be asked for the following information.

Your Information
•    Full Name
•    Class Year
•    Title at the Business

Business Information
•    Category under which your business should be listed.
•    Business Name
•    Website
•    Business Address
•    Description of the Business
•    Do you offer a discount for members of the Vermont Academy community?
•    Is this a BIPOC-owned business?
•    Is this a woman-owned business?



Alumni Business Directory

List of 13 items.

  • Architecture / Interior Design / Construction / Maintenance / Restoration

    Jonathan Scholl ’81 (Owner)
    Location: West Chester, PA 
    Description: In business since 2005, we are a small design & build company focused on custom residential construction projects. From new homes to additions and remodels, we work with clients to develop and execute the projects of their dreams!
    Wildcat Savings: 8 hours of free design work on any project valued above $25,000

    William Murphy Jr. ’94 (Owner & Master Craftsman)
    Location: Berkeley, CA
    Description: Specializing and focusing strictly on historic wood window & door restoration & replacement in the immediate East Bay Area only, PORTALS provides elite craftsmanship in preserving the integrity of historic wood windows and doors while ensuring optimal functionality and energy efficiency.
    Wildcat Savings: Senior Discount Available

  • Beauty / Piercings / Salon / Spa / Tattoos

    Ari Beuregard ’13 (Owner and Brand & Marketing Manager)
    Location: Hudson, MA
    Description: Blvck Rose is a queer-owned and operated tattoo shop in Hudson, MA with 5 resident artists and over 20 guest artists a month from all over the world. Our safe space allows people from all areas to feel comfortable. Tattoos are one of the oldest trades and art forms. We want everyone who walks into our space to feel comfortable and it allows us to be different from other shops that are not as welcoming.
    * BIPOC-owned
    * Woman-owned 

  • Business Services / Consulting / Marketing

    Andrew Merinoff ’09 (Founder & CEO)
    Location: New York, NY
    Description: Disrupting industries with Impact Investing. We give entrepreneurs and early-stage companies a foundation to grow and thrive through strategic investment, consulting, and key connections to drive their businesses forward. We help companies who have an ambitious vision and the core ingredients to execute it, and fill in the gaps through strategy, partnerships, hiring, projections, financials, one-on-one consulting, building boards, and more.

    Hillary Talbot ’04 (General Partner)
    Location: Santa Cruz, CA
    Description: être is a women-owned venture capital firm dedicated to investing for a better world. The firm assists mission-led companies, particularly underserved entrepreneurs or those with limited access geographically to capital sources. être offers equity and debt financing, pre-seed, seed, and series funding, along with supportive advisory services.  
    * Woman-owned 
     
    Hillary Talbot ’04 (Founder)
    Location: Santa Cruz, CA
    Description: Sail is a crowdfunding agency that works at the grassroots level, connecting startups and small businesses with their communities to raise up to $5 million through Regulation Crowdfunding.  
    * Woman-owned 

    Andrew Guard ’01 (Founder & Principal)
    Location: Sudbury, MA
    Description: Beverage start-up and scale-up performance creators. The Guard Agency helps bring products to life. The agency is a direct resource for emerging beverage or snack brands looking to grow, optimize or improve their operational productivity. This can mean new product development, greater procurement reach, establishing new manufacturing partners, or performing cost-cutting initiatives.

    Taylor Hartwright '12 (Founder & CEO)
    Location: Greenwich, CT
    Description: Victoria Capital Investments is a boutique investment firm located in Greenwich, CT, and founded on three principles; connect, build, and grow. Victoria strives to build a leading asset management firm using our analytical and value-based  philosophy to generate opportunity through connection and communication. We look for entrepreneurs, small business owners, and start-ups to partner with and provide them with what they need to succeed. 

    Robert Watts ’73 (Chief Solution Officer)
    Location: Clovis, CA 
    Description: W&A employs smart people and technologies to support healthy organizational culture and growth.
    Wildcat Savings: 10% discount for all VA alumni. 30% discount for BIPOC VA alumni.
    * BIPOC-owned

  • Fashion / Clothing / Accessories

    Sarah Knight ’97 (Owner)
    Location: Edgartown, MA
    Description: Handmade Nantucket baskets and bracelets!
    * Woman-owned 

    Renegade Classics of Tuscon
    Allan Hammerel '68 (President)
    Location: Tuscon, AZ
    Description: Arizona's largest, independently owned, motorcycle clothing and accessory outlet.
    Wildcat Savings: 10% discount

  • Fine Art / Photography / Sculpture

    Tom Gingras '67 (Owner)
    Location: Spicewood, TX
    Description: Commissioned sculpture in metals and mixed media. Offers online and private instruction.
    Wildcat Savings: 20% discount on entry-level classes for alumni and enrolled students. Contact Tom for more information.

  • Food & Beverage

    Devin Finnigan ’01 (Owner and Chef)
    Location: Deer Isle, ME 
    Description: Fine dining restaurant on the coast of Maine.
    * Woman-owned business
     
    David Gibbs ’84 (Owner/Partner)
    Location: Sherman Oaks, CA 
    Description: Wine bar and restaurant with vintage wines by the glass. 
    Wildcat Savings: 15% discount on food and wine (vintage wines excluded)

    Austin DeLonge ’06 (Owner)
    Location: Chicago, IL
    Description: We are a full-service bar and a 9-hole indoor mini-golf course! 

    Neil Handwerger '94 (Owner)
    Location: Stowe, VT 
    Description: Breakfast, lunch, bakery in the Heart of Stowe Village.
     
    Andrew Guard ’01 (Co-Founder & COO)
    Location: Cambridge, MA
    Description: Soda crafted with organic juices, organic spices, and live probiotics for a delicious, 'fun'ctional sip that POPS!
     
    Scott Aiello '90 (Owner)
    Location: Denville, NJ 
    Description: Classic New Jersey luncheonette, open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. We serve everything from eggs to cheesesteaks.
     
    James Harris ’06 (Owner)
    Location: Breckenridge, CO 
    Description: Dynamite Cookies takes arguably the top five most popular cookies and brings them up a notch. High-quality ingredients, a unique sourdough element to the dough, and a high-temperature cooking process make Dynamite Cookies stand out as a go-to cookie shop. Housed inside a historic mining shed, this shop provides walk-up service and an outdoor patio for dining.
    Wildcat Savings: 15% discount
     
    Chris Kenefick ’06 (CEO & Second-Generation Proprietor) 
    Location: Calistoga, CA
    Description: Family-owned and operated vineyard and winery in Calistoga, Napa Valley.
    * Woman-owned business
     
    David Gibbs ’84 (Owner/Partner)
    Location: Sherman Oaks, CA 
    Description: Sushi restaurant specializing in wild-caught Japanese fish.
     
    Christian Lee ’02 (Owner)
    Location: Portland, OR 
    Description: The Rambler is a neighborhood bar and restaurant situated in the Historic Mississippi Avenue District of Portland, Oregon. Our focus is on comfort, quality, and hospitality. We are located in a converted 1920's bungalow, still retaining the charm of a family home while adding a full bar, dog-friendly front and back patios, and a great food menu. Come check us out!

    James Harris ’06 (Owner)
    Location: Breckenridge, CO 
    Description: Tin Plate is an artisan pizza restaurant serving elevated food, wine, and spirits. Housed within a restored mining cabin built in 1883, Tin Plate uses locally sourced ingredients as much as possible to maintain food quality and integrity.
    Wildcat Savings: 15% discount

    Dean Kitagawa ’91 (Owner)
    Location: Philadelphia, PA 
    Description: Philadelphia pizza joint from scratch. 
    * BIPOC-owned business

  • Furniture and Home Décor

    Lisa (Eckhardt) McNealus '79 and Alison (Hussey) Cummings '79 (Co-Owners) 
    Location: Windham, VT
    Description: Antiques and Artisanal items to complement your home. 
    Wildcat Savings: We welcome fellow alumni to shop with us! Introduce yourself to us as a VA alumni and we will discount your purchase 10%! 
    * Woman-owned business

  • Healthcare / Wellness

    Alie (Johnson) Harmon ’95 (President & Founder)
    Location: Geneva, IL 
    Description: Amada Senior Care offers four types of care services for seniors and their families: in-home senior care, senior housing advising, home monitoring, and financial care coordination (identifying funding options for senior care, such as the veteran’s aid and attendance benefits, leveraging different assets, etc.) and long-term care insurance advocacy.
    Wildcat Savings: Complimentary long-term care insurance review and benefit analysis.
    * Woman-owned 

    Angele Paul ’90 (CEO) 
    Location: Burlington, VT
    Description: Private practice psychologist
    * Woman-owned 

    Kristin Terkelsen '91 (Owner) 
    Location: Centerville, MA
    Description: Privately owned outpatient physical therapy clinic.
    * Woman-owned 

    David Morse '58 (President) 
    Location: Sarasota, FL
    Description: Our mission is to increase awareness of diagnostic and treatment options for men with prostate disease, and to support them throughout their journey. Our services are free to all men and their partners.

  • Legal Services and Consulting

    Nathaniel Hibler ’00 (CEO)
    Location: Randolph, VT
    Description: Tax and business advisory
    Wildcat Savings: Discounts may be available for VA alumni.

  • Professional Services / Coaching / Consulting

    Carole Ann Penney '03 (Strategic Career Coach)
    Location: Providence, RI
    Description: Carole Ann Penney, CPC, helps mission-driven leaders navigate their careers with purpose and resilience. Through individual and group coaching, speaking, and interactive virtual and in-person workshops, Carole Ann guides professionals to develop skills and mindsets that help them become more engaged employees, more effective managers, and ultimately support more impactful organizations.
    * Woman-owned 

    Taylor Hartwright '12 (Founder & CEO of VCI, the majority owner/co-founder of The Luxury Clean)
    Location: Fairfield, CT
    Description: It is our privilege to present The Luxury Clean (TLC), a cleaning and home service company dedicated to creating and maintaining a safe and hygienic environment for our clients. In addition to raising the standard of white-glove cleaning, our mission is to improve our community by offering a professional, trustworthy, and tailored cleaning experience while creating meaningful relationships along the way.

  • Real Estate / Moving & Storage

    Alison (Hussey) Cummings '79 (Broker/Owner)
    Location: Windham, VT
    Description: ​Working with buyers and sellers throughout Vermont.
    *Woman-owned 

    University Communities
    Lee Ryder ’90 (President)
    Location: Denver, CO
    Description: ​University Communities LLC is an institutional money manager specializing in the acquisition and operation of university-related housing.

  • Sports and Fitness

    Mason Prevost '14 (Owner) 
    Location: Lachine, Quebec
    Description: A private gym studio located in Montreal where Mason works as a kinesiologist and personal trainer. Mason works with a variety of clients whose goals include improving their overall health, cardiovascular health, flexibility, or for fat loss and strength gain. Offerings include in-person private training, semi-private training, and group classes. Online coaching is also offered and provides clients with personalized nutrition and training programs to follow on their own with coaching check-ins every week or two for updates! 
    Wildcat Savings: Get $30 off per month for your first 3 months of online training with Mason (save $90) when you email masonprevs@gmail.com or message @coachedby_mason on Instagram.

    Nathaniel Will Datilio '12 (Owner)
    Location: Nantucket, MA
    Description: Ice hockey development clinic.
    Wildcat Savings: Discounts are available for VA alumni.


  • Other

    Jurrien Swarts ’94 (CEO)
    Location: Brooklyn, NY
    Description: We make earth-conscious products that make sustainable living easy.
Vermont Academy reserves the right to exclude businesses that run counter to our core values. We are unable to include multi-level marketing accounts (e.g. Avon, MaryKay, etc.)
10 Long Walk, PO Box 500
Saxtons River, VT 05154
802-869-6200
Vermont Academy is a coed college preparatory boarding and day school in southern Vermont, serving grades 9-12 plus a postgraduate year.