Business

Stargazer Electric and Lighting receives NASE grant

The National Association for the Self-Employed, a leading advocate and resource for the self-employed and micro-business community, has announced that a Cape Coral-based small business, Stargazer Electric and Lighting, has been awarded a $4,000 2025 third-quarter-growth grant sponsored by AARP to help support small businesses owned and operated by older American entrepreneurs. 

Stargazer Electric and Lighting, owned by NASE member Ralph Sepulveda, was awarded a NASE Growth Grant in the third quarter of 2025. Stargazer Electric and Lighting has more than 25 years of experience delivering residential, commercial and modular electrical services.

Sepulveda said he intends to use the funds for professional development efforts, including marketing and customer acquisition, tools and equipment upgrades, digital tools utilization and insurance and licensing support. 

"Cape Coral small business, Stargazer Electric and Lighting was chosen for this Growth Grant award because they demonstrated a well-defined plan for growth, ranging from executing new marketing initiatives, purchasing new equipment, and additional creative ways to grow and expand. As one of the growing number of older Americans who are small business owners, we're thrilled to collaborate with AARP to award NASE member Ralph Sepulveda of Stargazer Electric and Lighting with a $4,000 Growth Grant award," said John Hearrell, NASE's vice president of Membership and Affiliate Programs. "America's small business and self-employed community is the lifeblood of our economy, helping fuel growth along Main Street in small and large communities throughout the country. Over the course of the last four years, the American small business community has experienced a surge of over 20 million new small businesses opening and expanding, representing the true entrepreneurial spirit of America's resilience and determination. We are thrilled to support Stargazer Electric and Lighting's expansion and growth."

In 2024 with the support of AARP and DELL Small Business, NASE awarded $112,000 in total grants to 28 small businesses to support their efforts to improve, grow and expand business operations. This year, NASE will continue to award grants throughout the year hoping to increase them even more.

For more about NASE, visit nase.org.

For more about Stargazer Electric and Lighting, visit stargazerelectric.com.