CAZENOVIA — Earlier this month, Cazenovia High School graduate Caden Ackerman announced 20|EAST (85 Albany St.) as the winner of his “2021 Keep On Adapting Awards,” an initiative designed to give back to small businesses in the Syracuse area.

Ackerman is vice president of “Keep On Adapting,” a marketing and advertising agency aimed at assisting small businesses with content creation and social media management.

The entrepreneur started the business at the beginning of his senior year at Le Moyne College, where he received a bachelor of science in marketing in May 2021.

“Our goal is to help businesses adapt, no matter what point they are at in their process,” said Ackerman. “We [also] desire to . . . help the world get to know them through affordable marketing.”

Last spring, Ackerman came in second place in the 2021 Dolphin Tank, Le Moyne’s take on the business reality television series “Shark Tank.”

During the competition, he went up against 10 other student businesses to compete for a pool of $35,000.

His five-minute pitch for “Keep On Adapting” earned Ackerman a $9,000 reward, part of which he used to launch the 2021 Keep On Adapting Awards.

“The goal of the 2021 Keep On Adapting Awards was to both highlight local businesses [and] encourage small business participation,” Ackerman said. “We wanted people to take some time to think about local businesses and their impact on the local community. Many small businesses involve the community and create a space for families to make memories. [For example, many] have trivia nights, live music, live football broadcasting, and much more. This is all to help create a stronger [and more connected] community.”

In the first round of the contest, individuals were invited to vote on a business that they believe has adapted well throughout its lifecycle.

The four finalists each received a free one- to two-minute video — filmed and edited by Keep On Adapting — highlighting their stories. During round two, the business with the most votes won a $3,000 grand prize. Every voter was entered to win a $50 gift card to a Syracuse area business. The 20 winners were selected randomly.

According to Ackerman, round two received more than 800 votes.

“It was really neat to see hundreds of comments that voters left about these businesses, mentioning everything from how much they loved [them, to] the impact they made in their family’s lives,” Ackerman said.

20|EAST was named the grand prizewinner on Sept. 10.

“Each [of the finalists] adapted and demonstrated why they were loved by the local community,” Ackerman said. “20|EAST was [no different]. It’s a business that keeps other people’s needs at the top of their minds. They originally started because they saw a need for a place where local businesses and farmers could sell their goods. Through their business, they have created a space for entrepreneurs of all ages to have a chance to promote and sell their goods at a storefront. The strength of the relationships they have built was evident when they came out on top in the final round.”

20|EAST is owned and operated by McKenzie Houseman, who also runs Cazenovia Cut Block out of the same space.

Houseman started Cazenovia Cut Block with her brother, self-taught woodworker Tim Hughes, at the Cazenovia Farmer’s Market in 2009.

“What we noticed was that all the farmers and makers [had] to bring their stuff to the market every single week in order to make money,” Houseman said in her Keep On Adapting video. “So we said, ‘Why not create a space where they can do that all the time?’ And that is how 20|EAST was born in addition to Cazenovia Cut Block.”

20|EAST’s ability to adapt and meet the needs of the community has been particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the shutdown, the farm store, which previously offered a unique selection of locally produced food, art, fresh flowers, and gifts, was stocked primarily with groceries and essential items.

“We have always carried locally sourced food, but since the pandemic began, the demand for these items grew very rapidly,” Houseman said. “We have really added on to our local food offerings . . . We were fortunate to have so many local farms and other makers that could keep us fully stocked with the grocery items people really needed . . . I think people felt safer knowing where their meat came from and that it hadn’t been sitting on a truck for an extended period of time being touched by however many hands. The fear was very real. We were also able to provide items that were sold-out in big box stores. We had toilet paper, sanitizer, gloves, paper towels, and tissues. We also added curbside pick up and home deliveries. We are still doing many of these things.”

Houseman said she was surprised to learn her business had won the 2021 Keep On Adapting Awards. She explained that she had been operating in “survival mode” for so long that she hadn’t stopped to consider all of the ways the business had changed to help accommodate the community and alleviate people’s fears.

20|EAST plans to use the $3,000 reward to streamline its website for online shopping and to continue putting money back into the community.

“We always donate to the local sports teams and benefits,” said Houseman. “We will be able to do a little bit more of that now with such an unexpected cushion. This is especially important now as improvements are being made to the [Burton Street] baseball fields and hockey rink . . . We could not have accomplished any of this without the amazing support from the community and our hard working vendors. We all worked together to make it happen.”

To learn more about 20|EAST and Cazenovia Cut Block, visit 20-east.com.

The videos for the four Keep On Adapting Awards finalists are available at keeponadapting.com/vote.

To learn more about Keep On Adapting, visit keeponadapting.com or follow the business on Facebook or Instagram (keeponadapting).