After two years of designing and selling cell phone products, Baldwin’s Junior Achievement company, bwINK, this year is focusing on helping students capture and display memories.

The student company has decided to design and make picture frames. Club President Nick Pantelis said that after their previous success, students wanted to try something new.

“We thought of the idea and decided to do something more homemade,” Pantelis said.

After creating earlier products online, the company plans to make the picture frames in the industrial tech facilities in Baldwin. Frames will be sold for $20 soon. In addition, seniors will have the option to purchase a frame with the logo of Baldwin and their graduation year near the time of the graduation ceremony.

The student company is a part of the Junior Achievement organization, which helps encourage students in entrepreneurship all across the nation.

The first year, bwINK created a wallet that could be put on the back of a phone. Pantelis said the idea got the company started.

“After we decided on the wallet, we planned how we were going to get the supplies and make the product,” Pantelis said. “We also created our own logo.”

A year later, they decided to stick with the idea of cell phones and made retractable cell phone chargers.

Pantelis said one of the big reasons for the success is gifted coordinator Jared Hoffman.

“He has provided us with a lot of guidance because he owns a lot of his own small businesses,” Pantelis said. “We use his expertise to figure it out ourselves.”

Hoffman has been with bwINK from the beginning.

“I just get them started by mentoring them how to start a business,” Hoffman said.
Hoffman also mentors them on all aspects on how to run a business.

“I give them tips on advertisements, how to build the product, and how to market it,” he said.

The volunteer sponsor for bwINK is Dennis Gilfoyle, president of JA in Western Pennsylvania.

After the students get going on their own, Hoffman and Gilfoyle continue to mentor the students.

“We continue helping the students out with the questions they have and help move the process as smoothly as possible,” Hoffman said.

The club expects the product to be available in the next few weeks to a month.
“We are excited to get the product out and hope for a huge success,” Pantelis said.