Intersect Fund client Janis Blayne-Paul just got a new outlet through which to exhibit her unique, stone art.

The Brodsky Gallery at Princeton’s Chauncy Conference Center will display Paul’s work through March 31st; visitors can meet Blayne-Paul at the gallery during an opening event from 4 to 8 p.m. next Thursday, Feb. 21st.

On rough stones, Blayne-Paul etches a number of designs that reflect her customers’ interests, hobbies, or religious beliefs. Some feature yogic images like the “ohm” symbol; others depict Hindu deities or Hebrew good-luck charms. One of Blayne-Paul’s most popular stones features a lithe runner mid-stride.

Some customers have embedded the stones into kitchen backsplashes; others have used them as stepping-stones in gardens. One used a version of the “runner” stone to decorate the runners’ supply store she owns.

Edison mayor Antoinette Ricigliano (left) helps Fund client Patricia Moreno cut the ribbon on her new salon — Morgan’s Hair Mastery — during its grand-opening ceremony on Feb. 7th.

When Patricia Moreno enrolled in an Intersect Fund business training class almost three years ago, she’d been working as a hairdresser for others and looking forward to start a business of her own.

This month, the grand-opening of Morgan’s Hair Mastery marked the realization of Moreno’s dream.

Moreno moved slowly but surely toward her goal. She initially sought to pursue a partnership that eventually dissolved, and she registered the current iteration of her business in the spring of 2011.

She continued doing hair on a commission basis as she hatched plans for striking out on her own. Last summer, she found a suitable space in Edison and received an Intersect Fund loan to help fix it up.

Then, on February 7th — Moreno’s birthday — the business hosted its grand-opening. Moreno’s salon — Morgan’s Hair Mastery — is located at 246 Plainfield Avenue in Edison, N.J.

For longtime hairdresser Alison Dominguez, entrepreneurial ambition grew from a simple question: “If I can work for myself, why not do it?”

Late last year, an Intersect Fund loan helped her locate and renovate a space on Sayreville’s Main Street that would soon house her business: Salon 107. The salon will host its grand opening this weekend, on Feb. 2nd and 3rd.

The Edison resident has worked in cosmetology for more than a decade, most recently managing a branch of a well-known hair salon chain.

Dominguez’s desire to own a business helped guide her over the bumpy path toward opening her salon:

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Most small-business owners start their firms in hopes of earning some extra money and — if they’re lucky — making a living for themselves and their families.

Noelani Musciaro’s goal is somewhat more ambitious: she hopes to earn enough revenue to donate $1 million per year to charities that feed the hungry in America.

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