New Life Farm, which offers Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) to the Chequamegon Bay Area, is the grand prize winner of the 2022 CheqYes Spark competition held June 2. The new business received $5,000 and a business start-up package. 

First runner-up was Santa Leyenda, the new Mexican restaurant which will open soon in Washburn. This year, the runner-up also received a cash award of $1,000.

Finalists this year included: Full Keel Coffee, LLC, Lake Superior Pottery, New Life Farm, LLC, Santa Leyenda, St. James Social, and The Local Bar and Grille.

Spark is a community-based startup pitch platform for entrepreneurs and business owners in the Chequamegon Bay. The event is sponsored by CheqYes, with the Wisconsin Small Business Development Center at UW-Superior as presenting sponsor. Local entrepreneurs pitched their business ideas in March. Final presenters were selected pitch their ideas at the June 2 event. The audience evaluated and voted for their favorite ideas along with the judges.