Lake Champlain Chamber

06/17/2026

Our LaunchVT Demo Night took place yesterday evening at Hula, drawing hundreds to celebrate Vermont’s thriving startup ecosystem. Seven startups pitched their ventures after completing our intensive accelerator program.

Oru, a startup that builds premium, connected safety and efficiency monitors that give woodstove owners real-time temperature data and peace, won the $15,000 Lake Champlain Chamber Award. Aligna, a Family Harmony Platform that helps reduce invisible mental load, relationship frictions and turn household chaos into connection, earned the $5,000 Audience Choice Award.

The evening was filled with energy, community support, and entrepreneurial spirit.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make this year’s Demo Night a powerful celebration of innovation and growth in Vermont! Missed the main event? You can catch all the action on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdVhXxedwYI.

06/17/2026

We're looking forward to our first LCC Explores event with Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity next week! Be sure to let us know if you can make it at the link below.

06/15/2026

Join the Lake Champlain Chamber and five other regional organizations next Wednesday for a Virtual Chittenden County State's Attorney Forum featuring incumbent Chittenden County State's Attorney Sarah George (D) and challenger Franklin County State's Attorney Bram Kranichfeld (D)!

Why this race matters: Public safety, retail theft, and accountability directly impact the economic vitality of Northwest Vermont's commercial centers. Because the winner of the August 11th primary will likely run unopposed in November, this August primary is your only opportunity to decide who shapes our local justice system for the next four years.

When: June 24, 12pm (virtual)

Get the full details + register here: https://web.vermont.org/events/2026-Chittenden-County-State-s-Attorney-Primary-Election-Forum-Virtual--5421/details.

Next Month: Get face-to-face with the candidates at LCC’s signature candidate speed networking events.

July 15, 4:30pm | Vermont Construction Academy (Partner: Associated Builders and Contractors New Hampshire/Vermont) >> https://web.vermont.org/events/Candidate-Speed-Networking-Vermont-Construction-Academy--5424/details.

July 22, 4:30pm | OnLogic (Partner: South Burlington Business Association) >> https://web.vermont.org/events/Candidate-Speed-Networking-OnLogic--5422/details

July 29, 4:30pm | Switchback Brewing Company (Partner: Burlington Business Association) >> https://web.vermont.org/events/Candidate-Speed-Networking-Switchback--5427/details

Northwest Vermont Realtor Association | Vermont Retail & Grocers Association

06/10/2026

Let’s hear it for our newest Chamber members! 🎊

We’re so excited to welcome you to the LCC community: Full Circle Theater Collaborative, North Country Fire Protection, Shearer VW of South Burlington, VT, Talent Pipeline Strategies, Trattoria Delia VT, and Westphalen Photography.

06/10/2026

Congratulations to our Leadership Champlain Class of 2026! You did it! We look forward to seeing the impact you'll continue to make in your organizations, communities, and across Vermont.

Round of applause for:

David Qian, 802 Group
Gabriella Stevens, Chittenden Solid Waste District (CSWD)
Elise Genereux, Common Good Vermont
Sue Verro, Community Bank N.A.
Anne Rosenblum, Dinse P.C.
Nick Erly, Dinse P.C.
Beth Dailey, EastRise Credit Union
Ibby Wilson, EastRise Credit Union
Colleen Perron, Freeman French Freeman
Michael Shapiro, Gallagher Flynn & Company. LLP
Michael Coster, GlobalFoundries
Chris Bohórquez, Gravel & Shea PC
Eleanor Moody, Gravel & Shea PC
Karisa Thompson, Lund
Garrett Allen, M&T Bank/Wilmington Trust
Emilie Tetu, SHRM-CP, Mack Molding
Ben Gilbert, Milton Family Community Center
Rachel Conner, NBT Bank
Sasha Kauert, PC Construction Company
Madison Prokott, Primmer Piper Eggleston & Cramer
Francis DiMora, Sheehey Furlong & Behm
Kim Geyer, Stewart Construction
Lisa Grefe, United Way of Northwest Vermont
Miriam Mukurazita, University of Vermont
Summer Colley, UVM Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships
Shelby McGarry, UVM Medical Center
Julia Spelman, Vermont Energy Investment Corporation
Katie French, Vermont Mechanical
Jane Wolforth, Wake Robin
Emily Hayes, Westport Hospitality

Appreciation goes to all the graduation speakers who helped us mark the occasion yesterday – Matt Plasse, Jessica Lukas, Catherine Davis – and special thank you to our commencement speaker, Ben Traverse, class of 2017, for the delightfully entertaining and insightful speech.

Thank you to our presenting sponsor, Community Bank, N.A., for their ongoing support of the program and future leaders in Vermont. Appreciation also goes to our community sponsors, Leonardo's Pizza, Davis & Hodgdon CPAs, and Main Street Landing!

Finally, an additional shoutout to all of the participating businesses and organizations. Thank you for investing in your employees and committing to the development of our current and future community leaders!

Class of 2027, here we come!

06/04/2026

We are proud to highlight Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity as our hashtag this month! 🏡

Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity works with community housing lenders, partner families, businesses, municipalities, and volunteers to create housing while providing training in high-demand construction jobs at Habitat's Home Builds.

Discover how you can support their mission through volunteering or donating, and check out the full feature on our blog: https://lccvermont.org/chamber-news/featured-nonprofit-green-mountain-habitat-for-humanity/.

Want an inside look? Don't miss our inaugural LCC Explores morning tour on June 25 at an active Habitat build site. Secure your spot today: https://web.vermont.org/events/LCC-Explores-Green-Mountain-Habitat-for-Humanity-5419/details.

06/03/2026

Check us out on Instagram! 📸

Love the updates we share here? Make sure we’re in your Instagram feed, too! Follow us at for the latest on our events, advocacy, and member highlights.

06/02/2026

As a driving force behind regional tourism and economic growth, LCC and our Hello Burlington division are dedicated to championing Burlington and beyond.

Our VP of Tourism, Jeff Lawson, was recently featured in this great piece on Burlington's South End Arts District. From Seaba Burlington's Art Hop and the South End Get Down to all the fantastic local makers and businesses including AO Glass, the South End is not to be missed.

Check it out: https://www.mychamplainvalley.com/news/exploring-burlingtons-south-end-arts-district/amp/.

BURLINGTON, Vt (ABC22/FOX44) – You might not be able to tell just by driving through, but Pine street in Burlington is home to a bustling artist community. “It just kind of sprouted up …

05/28/2026

Join us for the first event in our new LCC Explores series, morning tours that offer inside looks at the transformative projects and member innovations defining our region.

On Thursday, June 25, gather with LCC at an active Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity build site in Essex Junction in celebration of National Homeownership Month.

Get the full details + register here: https://web.vermont.org/events/LCC-Explores-Green-Mountain-Habitat-for-Humanity-5419/details.

05/27/2026

Did you know? 🌊

The Lake Champlain Chamber proudly supports the preservation of our region's maritime history as an official stamping location for the Lighthouse Passport Program.

This initiative allows enthusiasts to keep a detailed chronicle of their lighthouse travels, with small donations directly funding vital restoration projects across the country.

We love welcoming travelers and locals alike! Contact us to get your passport stamped on your next Lake Champlain excursion.

Learn more about the Lighthouse Passport Program at https://uslhs.org/passports.