Small Business News
Progressive, Hello Alice Name 2023 Small Business Grant Winners
Progressive Insurance and Hello Alice have just named the winners of their latest Driving Small Business Forward grant program.
About the program and the winners:
Launched in May, the 2023 edition of the Driving Small Business Forward program invited entrepreneurs to apply for a chance to win one of ten grants. While the inaugural edition of the program saw grants going to Hispanic business owners, this year’s installment aimed to support Black entrepreneurs. With that, Progressive and Hello Alice have announced the winning businesses, which span the nation.
The 2023 winners include DC Visionaries, Forty Acres Fresh Market, Golfing for Excellence, Kalsoni, Kidz on Wheelz, Let’s Ryde NC, Pet Porter Pals, Rob Ran Creative Services, The Lab Drawer, and Tidy Pets Pooper Scoopers. Those interested in learning more about each of these businesses and the entrepreneurs behind them can also explore profiles on the Driving Small Business Forward program site. Each of the selected small businesses have been awarded a $25,000 grant. Specifically, the funds are to be used toward the purchase of a commercial vehicle.
About Hello Alice:
Hello Alice is a platform that helps small businesses better manage their finances. This includes offering a credit card built for business owners and meant to reward them for purchases of common expenses items. More recently, the site also launched a new Small Business Health Score Tool, which can be used to help businesses in finding funding as well.
The platform also assists businesses in identifying grant opportunities. In addition to partnering with Progressive for this program, Hello Alice has also worked with the likes of DoorDash, the NAACP, and others.
What they’re saying:
Announcing the results of this year’s Driving Small Business Forward program, Progressive Insurance Commercial Lines President Karen Bailo said, “At Progressive, we celebrate all business owners, yet we understand Black business owners still face unique challenges. For the last two years, the Driving Small Business Forward grant program is one of the ways we’ve been supporting entrepreneurs on their small business journey, and we look forward to seeing how this grant helps these deserving recipients continue their work serving the community.”
Meanwhile, Hello Alice founder and CEO Carolyn Rodz said of the program, “Hello Alice fights for financial equity among small businesses and we are in awe of the hard work and passion displayed by entrepreneurs across the country. We are proud to partner with Progressive and support Black-owned small businesses.” Rodz added, “These businesses are critical to our economy and the future of our country.”
My thoughts:
As I’ve said many times before, the influx in grant programs for small businesses has been great to see. Moreover, it’s also been encouraging to find Hello Alice at the center of more and more of these programs — and for them to have a hub where entrepreneurs can be alerted to these opportunities. With two years of the Driving Small Business Forward program now completed, here’s hoping that a third is in the works and proves equally as successful (if not more so).
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