HWA Emerging Entrepreneur Award

HERE WE ARE is a strategic initiative designed to address widespread inequity and a lack of representation in the jewelry industry through action and impact. Launched in 2019, the HERE WE ARE program highlights creators, and builds industry awareness around issues of diversity, inclusion, equity, representation, and allyship.

Introduced in 2020, the HERE WE ARE Funding Awards spotlight exceptional talent. Every year, one exceptional individual receives a financial grant to execute an exhibition at NYC Jewelry Week. Once restricted to members of the HERE WE ARE cohort and alumni, applications are now open to the wider community.

The HWA Emerging Entrepreneurs Awards offer two grants of $1500 each to support emerging jewelers in expanding their businesses. Sponsored by Halstead, the awards are designed to provide financial assistance and recognition to talented jewelers who are in the early stages of their careers. NYC Jewelry Week will award one prize to a resident of NYC and the other to a non-New York resident.

We are proud to celebrate the success of our past recipients, whose innovative designs and business acumen have set them apart:

• Chee Lee Designs
• Cindy Liebel
• Dominique Renée
• Jam & Rico
• Harlin Jones
• Metaalia Jewelry
• Embirikos
• Huckleberry Woman

To be eligible for the HWA Emerging Entrepreneurs Awards, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Be an emerging jeweler in the early stages of their career.
• Demonstrate a commitment to expanding their business.
• Exhibit creativity, innovation, and a love of jewelry.
• Be a resident of the USA.
• Identify as a member of one or more of the following groups: Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian, Native American or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander.

Applying for the Emerging Entrepreneurs Awards is a straightforward process! Simply fill out the online application form here:

The deadline for submissions is September 27, 2024. We will not consider late applications, so be sure to submit all required materials by this date.

All applications will be reviewed by a panel of industry experts including NYC Jewelry Week founder Bella Neyman, Malyia McNaughton, jeweler and gemologist, representing the BIJC board of directors, Kelli Vanyek, Marketing & Creative Manager at Halstead, Tiffany Vanderhoop of Huckleberry Woman and Ariana Embiricos of Embirikos. The panel will select winners based on their creativity, business potential, and the overall quality of their submissions. We will announce the two recipients of the Emerging Entrepreneurs Awards to the public during NYC Jewelry Week.

In addition to receiving a cash award, the winner is honored at Rock the Jewels, the Black in Jewelry Coalition event held in conjunction with NYC Jewelry Week. Rock the Jewels serves as a vibrant celebration of diversity and creativity within the jewelry industry.

We look forward to receiving your application and helping you take your jewelry business to the next level!

Questions? For any questions regarding the application process or eligibility, please contact us at: social@nycjewelryweek.com