Congratulations to @haley_schwartz (AAS Fashion Design 2022) - and her company @vertigeadaptive - for being awarded FIT's first-ever PETE Prize for Entrepreneurs! Vertige, a brand specializing in fashion-forward adaptive clothing, was created for people who wear medical devices (including heart monitors, feeding tubes, ports, colostomy bags, among other) to help them feel confident, comfortable and ready to take on whatever they set their mind to. With the $30,000 prize money, Schwartz plans to get samples into production to enable product testing by as many people as possible. One of the things Schwartz is most excited about is receiving office space for one year at FIT's new Center for Innovation at the @bklynnavyyard - along with marketing, legal, financial, creative, and operational guidance on how to build and launch an innovative company. The prize is inspired by Peter G. Scotese, chairman emeritus of the FIT Board of Trustees and a pioneering entrepreneur. Initial funding is provided by Edwin Goodman, former chair of the FIT Board of Trustees and a partner of Activate Venture Partners, an investment firm with a mission to develop a new generation of venture capitalists whose aspiration is to leave a lasting impact on industry. Learn more about Vertige at the link in bio. Schwartz is pictured here with (from l-r): FIT President Dr. Joyce F. Brown; Edwin Goodman; and @fit_dtechlab Executive Director Michael Ferraro.