Two Milford business owners were among those announced as winners of the Encouraging Development, Growth and Expansion grants (EDGE), receiving a total of $150,000. Bayside Gymnastics was awarded $50,000 under the Entrepreneur Awards and Dustin Parker, owner of Parker Group and developer of “Archie,” was awarded $100,000 in the STEM group.
“The foundation of our company is built with technology and largely with AI technology,” Parker said. “So, we’re using these funds to continue to develop our valuation models around the pricing of each home, to give consumers more information, ore accurate information, about their value and so that we can continue our business that way.”
Archie is a unique model that gives home sellers the ability to move forward immediately without sacrificing the value of their home. According to the grant, traditional selling means months of strangers walking through the home to be sold as well as repair negotiations and paralyzing uncertainty. According to Parker, Archie eliminates the unpleasantness immediately.
“When homeowners partner with Archie, they receive up to 80 percent of their home’s verified value within 24 hours of moving out, while maintaining ownership until final sale,” Parker explained. “Archie then increases the value by enhancing the property, deploying sophisticated marketing technology, and orchestrating the entire sales process. When the home sells, the original owner receives 60 percent of the additional proceeds, creating optimal alignment where both parties succeed when the home achieves its highest potential sales price.”
The grant funding will be used to accelerate Archie Home Intelligence, featuring proprietary AI-powered Automated Valuation Model (AVM).
Bayside Gymnastics is in the process of building a new facility that they hope to open in January of 2026. The grant will be used to offset the $150,000 cost for multi-use equipment needed in the expansion.
“We are so proud of our team and are thrilled that we are recipients of this competitive grant award,” Jennifer McEntire, owner of Bayside Gymnastics said. “It is a testament to the hard work and dedication everyone puts into Bayside. We appreciate the support that has made this possible and we can’t wait to keep our Bayside community growing.”
Bayside Gymnastics offers gymnastics, ninja warrior, cheer and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu programs. On Thursday, June 19 at 10:30 AM, Bayside Gymnastics will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for their new location. The event is planned at 214 West Liberty Way in Milford.
