Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont has named Aarav Upadhyay and Ayden Pinto, high school entrepreneurs from Asbury Park and Englishtown, New Jersey, as the winners of the 2026 Vermont Pitch Challenge, a Shark Tank-like competition for teens. Upadhyay and Pinto were awarded the competition’s top prize – a full-tuition scholarship to the University of Vermont – for their business venture, Yevla, after presenting their life-saving device and impressive business plan to a panel of judges at UVM.

Vermont Business Magazine State Auditor Doug Hoffer released an audit today of how well the Attorney General’s Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) handles consumer complaints. The audit, the last in a series of four the Auditor’s Office has produced relating to how State government responds to Vermonters’ complaints, assessed the extent to which the CAP ensures consumer and business complaints are addressed in a timely manner. In addition, the audit evaluated whether the performance information reported by CAP is accurate and complete.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vermont Department of Labor released the January 2026 unemployment rate. According to household data, the seasonally-adjusted statewide unemployment rate for January was 2.7 percent. This reflects no change from the prior month’s revised estimate. The civilian labor force participation rate was 63.5 percent in January, a decrease of two-tenths of one percentage point from the prior month’s revised estimate. “The Department’s Labor Market Information team recently completed its annual data revision process, which incorporates more complete information and provides a clearer picture of Vermont’s economy,” said Kendal Smith, Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Labor. “As a result, we found that employment levels in 2025 were modestly overestimated—by about 1 percent, or roughly 2,700 jobs."

Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets The Vermont Cheese Council invites you to the 2026 Artisan Cheesemakers Conference on May 1 in Rutland. Storytelling is the theme of this year’s conference, with a day full of in-person programming. While content is specifically geared toward cheesemakers, the conference is open to all: makers, mongers, chefs, retailers, industry folk, and food producers of all flavors. Also, the Vermont Maple Festival, is the largest maple contest in Vermont. The winners of this contest are recognized as having made the “Best of Vermont,” a laudable achievement in a state already known for the outstanding quality of its maple products. Vermont maple producers are invited to submit their products to the contest. Entries are due by April 20.

Vermont Business Magazine Southern Vermont community and business leaders: plan to join hosts Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) and Bennington County Regional Commission (BCRC) at Mount Snow in Dover, VT, on May 12 for the 9th annual Southern VT Economy Summit. The agenda for the event is now live and can be found at www.sovermontzone.com/summit, along with a link to register. The theme of this year’s Summit is “Envision. Act. Grow!” Attendees are urged to lean into these imperatives as they work together to tackle the region’s biggest challenges. Breakout sessions at the event are centered around the findings of the 2024 SoVermont Zone Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS).

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Law and Graduate School (VLGS) is the nation’s only institution featured in the top five for both environmental law (No. 5) and most graduates entering public interest law (No. 5), according to newly released rankings from U.S. News and World Report. VLGS also ranked No. 48 in Best Legal Writing Programs, No. 49 in Best Part-Time Law Programs and No. 55 in Best Clinical Training Programs.

Vermont Business Magazine An internationally recognized advocate for girls’ education will deliver the commencement address to the Saint Michael’s College Class of 2026. Shabana Basij- Rasikh, co-founder and president of the School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA), will also receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters during the College’s 119th Commencement. The ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. on May 10, 2026, in the Ross Sports Center. In addition to Basij-Rasikh, the College will award honorary degrees to two distinguished alumni whose lives and careers exemplify leadership, service, and impact: Donald R. “Don” Dion, Jr., Esq. ’76 and Richard E. “Rich” Tarrant ’65 (posthumously).

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont State University is graduating its third class of students on May 16 and 17, 2026, and today announced its group of commencement speakers for the four ceremonies held at the Castleton, Randolph, Lyndon, and Johnson campuses throughout the weekend. Former Lyndon State College President Joe Bertolino, Ed.D., will serve as the commencement speaker at the Lyndon campus, where he served as president from 2012 to 2016. At Vermont State’s Johnson campus ceremony, newly retired Major General Gregory C. Knight will be the guest speaker. The Castleton campus will welcome alumna Kelly Pearsons ’17 as its commencement speaker. Graduating student Jerika LaValley will serve as the commencement speaker for the joint Randolph and Williston commencement ceremony, continuing the Randolph campus tradition of a student speaker.

Vermont Business Magazine The State of Vermont is bolstering the cybersecurity of Vermont’s public sector by providing centralized resources and expert guidance to help protect critical infrastructure. As of October 1, the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) shifted to a tiered, fee-based model for state, local, tribal, and territorial government members. Many of the eligible public sector entities are small organizations that lack access to dedicated cybersecurity resources—and in many cases, do not have dedicated IT staff at all—making centralized support and guidance especially critical.

by Katrina Menard, Public Assets Institute Last July, Congress cut Medicaid by nearly $1 trillion over a decade as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Over 150,000 Vermonters—including 60,000 children—receive health insurance through Medicaid. Up to ten percent of adults could lose health coverage due to changes in eligibility and enrollment requirements, and kids may also lose coverage. For Vermont’s schools and students, reduced Medicaid payments could mean budget shortfalls. Under federal law, states may receive reimbursements for certain health care services provided to students with Medicaid and for related administrative costs. Medicaid is the fourth-largest funding stream for public schools, providing over $7.5 billion nationally each year.

Vermont Business Magazine The Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living (DAIL) is developing the next State Plan on Aging, a guiding document that outlines how the State of Vermont and the network of Area Agencies on Aging and service providers will strive to meet the changing needs of older Vermonters over time. The draft plan is online at: asd.vermont.gov under “Latest News.” Vermont has one of the oldest populations in the country, and its residents are getting older faster than in most states—making this more than a statistic; it’s a story about neighbors, families, and entire communities adapting to change. Older adults are one of Vermont’s greatest resources, contributing experience, wisdom, and a deep sense of community that strengthen the state in countless ways.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported for the second week that the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations have fallen to a very low level, similar to the negligible level seen last summer. There were no measles cases after one reported in Vermont in February in Washington County and the rate nationally is low. While there was no measles virus detected recently, RSV, Influenza B and Norovirus remained elevated at all the Vermont wastewater testing sites.