Knicks, Squarespace offering 4 entrepreneurs $30,000 boost

The New York Knicks want to help four entrepreneurs “make it.”

The basketball organization and a partner sponsor, website-building platform Squarespace, have launched the Make It Awards, a contest in which four metro area entrepreneurs each will win $30,000 in grants and marketing tools to boost their businesses.

“New York City inspires the best and brightest doers and hustlers to make their dreams come true. It’s an ethos that we embody at Squarespace, and we believe that anyone has the power to go out there and make it happen for themselves,” said Kinjil Mathur, chief marketing officer at Squarespace, which is based in Manhattan.

Applicants must be at least 18 years old, reside in New York, New Jersey or Connecticut and live within 150 miles of Madison Square Garden.

The winners will receive table space on the main concourse of the arena for one week of Knicks games to promote their businesses, and recognition on the public announcement system at Knicks games.

They’ll also receive promotion of their businesses on the MSG Networks digital boards on 7th Avenue, which more than 1 million people walk by daily.

MSG’s digital team will create videos showing how the winning businesses are spending their grants, and those pieces will be posted on the winners’ and MSG Networks’ websites and social media accounts.

The deadline to apply is Jan. 31. As of Friday morning, 82 applications had been received, according to Madison Square Garden. To apply, go to makeitawards.com.