A strong economy starts with strong local businesses. That’s why supporting existing and aspiring small businesses is key for our team at Rockland Trust. Our small business customers play a pivotal role in their communities, no matter the services they offer — including experience-based businesses that help create everlasting and priceless memories.
Each year, our annual Small Business, Big Dreams contest provides local businesses with a big opportunity. After narrowing down hundreds of submissions to three finalists, we award one winner $25,000 to support and grow their dreams. Check out the highlights from this year’s contest, which included a record-breaking number of entries!
Meet Our 2025 Rockland Trust Small Business, Big Dreams Finalists:
Find out more about each finalist’s story and business to see how they’re bringing together their local communities for incredible new experiences, and learn about their future plans to grow.
Coast to Coast Paddle: Making Waves in Salem’s Summer Waterways
Aaron’s small business journey started with an idea that never panned out. When his friends’ plans to visit offshore islands via a raft fell flat, the group pivoted, deciding to go kayaking instead.
Doing so changed Aaron’s life. “Just getting out on the water, it clicked,” lifelong water lover Aaron said. “I was like, this is it. I love this. I started thinking, ‘Someday I should do this. This should be what I do.”
Years later, his wife came up with a name: Coast to Coast Paddle. In 2014, the couple dove in, initially opening a retail location in Beverly. The real opportunity, though, came in the form of an offer from the city of Salem to open a kiosk location. It’s now their most popular location, and also opened them to new offerings like guided tours and lessons. What a fun summer activity!
A partnership with Salem Parks & Recreation expanded those services by providing local kids with summer paddle camps. Since the first year of camps, it’s become a passion of Aaron’s and a way for the business to connect with the community. The experiential side of the business now makes up its core focus. “We said, ‘Let’s go to the beach.’ And that’s where we’ve worked ever since.”
Still, Aaron keeps his eye on expansion in the form of a larger fleet to facilitate more activities so that everyone can join in on the experience and create joyful, lasting, and impactful memories. “Seeing something from the water changes your entire perspective on it,” Aaron said. “It’s an amazing thing.”
Clandestine Kitchen: Bringing Health, Convenience, and Good Food to the Boston Community
For Courtney Doyle, Clandestine Kitchen started almost by accident. A lifelong food lover, she started selling meals when her neighbor, a personal trainer, asked if she could buy the dinners Courtney made for her family.
Talk between her neighbor’s clients and the rest of the community quickly spread. Then, in seeing 30 portions on her table one day, Courtney realized she had more than a side hustle. “It seems like, starting off, it was word of mouth, literally,” Courtney said. “Your neighbor, your friend. It’s expanded and evolved since then.”
Courtney saw an opportunity: a meal delivery service with a particular emphasis on clean, healthy, and quality eating. While she initially catered to a vegan clientele, she’s expanded to vegetarian options and menus including animal protein since founding Clandestine Kitchen in 2018.
“People need to eat, people need to eat healthy, and people need to eat good food,” Courtney said. “There’s a lot of time to pour into that amount of love that you want in your food. We help our clients put a healthy dinner on the table or a healthy lunch at work, and the more people we can do that for, the better.”
The business currently delivers to 500 to 700 households per week in the Boston and South Shore areas. But Courtney said she hopes to expand its services to other areas of the state and even the country so more can enjoy good food without the hassle of making it themselves.
In the meantime, she’s still focused on serving her community, including through their local sourcing. “That’s one of the main reasons our clients love our food: Because it’s super fresh, hyper-local, seasonal, and they know we’re also supporting the local community.”
Park-9 Dog Bar: Pet-Friendly Bar Gets Dog Owners’ Tails Wagging
Like many pet owners, Emily Gusse and her wife, Tess, came out of the pandemic with a pet-related problem. After months of bonding closely with their puppy, a golden retriever named Nora, they couldn’t find places to take her out in Boston.
“COVID helped her really become part of the family, but after the pandemic, we had a hard time finding places to bring her to socialize with us,” Emily said. The then-business-school student came up with an idea: what about a dog bar? Emily took the idea and used it as a case study for school, only to find that it had legs.
Founded in early 2023 by Emily, Tess, and Tess’ brother, Chris, Park-9 Dog Bar now has an expanded indoor/outdoor location in Everett and a pop-up outdoor beer garden in Fenway. Designed with dogs and humans in mind, these locations provide all dogs, dog parents, and dog lovers a dedicated place to gather. Park-9’s locations contain both on-leash bar areas and an off-leash dog park. The off-leash park is monitored by trained “park rangers” to ensure all their canine guests, regardless of breed, can safely socialize.
“We wanted to provide an experience that goes above and beyond what you get by going to your neighborhood dog park or a dog-friendly brewery,” Emily explained. The Everett location, in addition to those features, has an indoor dog park and a pizza kitchen, and offers dog daycare, training, and grooming services.
Emily is now focused on growing their dog care services and food offerings for a comprehensive experience that brings together the dog-loving community through new friendships and new memories. “What’s the best way to meet somebody?” Emily said. “It’s just a natural conversation starter. And we have really seen a community blossom because of that.”
Key Takeaway: Small Business Fosters — and Delights — Community
Communities and small businesses play vital roles in each other’s health, success, and happiness. Sharing your passion with the people near you can not only bring you joy and opportunities but also allow the people in your community to find a new hobby, foster new relationships, or improve their lives.
If you’re interested in bringing your business idea to your community, start by building a team that knows it best. The right partners can provide local knowledge and relationships to support you so you can achieve success and bring joy to those around you.
Stay tuned for the winner of the 8th annual Small Business, Big Dreams contest here!
You can learn more about previous Small Business, Big Dreams finalists below:
