I am excited to announce the thirty winners of our $1K grants, which were co-sponsored by the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center (NEC) and will arrive just in time to provide some financial relief to Black ParentPreneurs for the holidays.
Because we are partnering with the NEC to tackle the wicked problem of Black entrepreneurs not getting access to capital (details coming soon), we willl focus the grant winners' stories on the challenges they have while fundraising.
Additionally, we will tell the stories of the effect a $1K grant can have on the business and mindset of an entrepreneur.
Our foundation's impact
We accomplished so much so fast. This is our fifth round of $1K grants and makes $70K we gave away since we started in July of 2020 with a $50,000 seed grant from Techstars co-founder and venture capitalist, Brad Feld.
Watch this brief first-anniversary-sizzle-reel that celebrates our impact on the lives of the 1,700 Black ParentPreneurs in our community.
Increasingly, we are helping our community members get to the 💰!
Check out this testimonial from a beloved community member whom we helped get to $250K.
Black ParentPreneurs are tired
We. Are. Tired.
We are tired of investors moving the goalposts.
We are tired of having to be twice as good and still not getting half as much.
And we are tired of the performative behavior of corporations and fake allies.
As you watch the winners' videos, note the first one from Kimberly Evans, where she talks about her frustration dealing with investors who say they want to help Black entrepreneurs. Then watch the second video from Deborah Choi, who is in Berlin, but talks about the same obstacles Black-American entrepreneurs face.
And finally, watch the video from Thomas Negrit, as it is the quintessential ParentPreneur moment with his daughter in the background; I'm certain you will love his reason for wanting the $1K grant.
Announcing the ParentPreneur Foundation's next thirty recipients of the Sugar Plum Grant
Our grant is called the Sugar Plum Grant, named after my dog, Sugar, that I had to put down after ten beautiful years of companionship. Sugar was the most loving, loyal, and consistent being I ever met. With these $1K grants, I pray for love, loyalty, and consistency for each recipient.
Kimberly Evans - Just Her Rideshare We are a rideshare community of women drivers and riders providing a safe alternative rideshare where women get the right to choose their rideshare experience!
Deborah Choi - Bosque
Bosque is a Berlin-based technology company that sells plants. By providing sustainably grown plants and 'quiet tech' that can turn any thumb green, we eliminate the barriers that prevent anyone from bringing nature indoors.
Nastassja Lewis - th|AIR|apy
The th|AIR|apy text-based helpline serves flight attendants in crisis, providing them access to free 24/7 support and information they need. The th|AIR|apy Helpline uses new technology to address the age-old issue of mental health.
Peter Njongwe - Lapis Lapis is a culturally competent digital treatment that safely and sustainably reverses heart disease without medication or surgery. We've designed the treatment specifically for people of color who are 2x-4x more likely to die from heart disease and are underserved by current resources.
Peachi Williams - Freshman Fun Box
We provide monthly care packages for college students. We also operate as a resource for parents and organizations to help with preparing for life after high school.
Dia Pfleger - DPA Global Consulting
DPA Global Consulting works with non-profit and civic groups with all their human capital needs. We focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. I also run a non-profit called Above the Curve Foundation that provides financial and educational support to families and students in the BIPOC community.
Lavelle Smith Hall - MOMLogics
MOMLogics™ empowers Black moms with the best parenting strategies, training, and technology so they can live well, live longer and have better relationships with their children, spouses/partners, and families.
Matt Jones - The Crease Beast
The Crease Beast provides sneaker enthusiasts with the most comfortable and effective product for crease prevention.
Jeannette Abayie - The Bow Hub
The Bow Hub is a children's hair accessories business that specializes in monogramed items.
Chelsea Elliott - SoMoCom Lab
The EQ Kids Crew! is a card game that teaches kids about their emotions and different ways to manage them. It also helps adults better understand their own emotions and what their children are feeling.
Dr. Charmain Jackman - InnoPsych Therapist of Color Directory
InnoPsych is a mental health tech platform that makes it faster and easier for people of color to match with therapists of color. We feature a national directory of therapists of color and offer emotional wellness content and products that are focused on decreasing mental health stigmas.
Thomas Negrit - Flywallet
Flywallet is a smart travel fund that helps you save and afford a trip every 6-12 months.
Kyra Peralte - The Traveling Diary
The Traveling Diary is a notebook that travels from woman to woman across the globe,collecting stories and anything they wish to share with other women.
Annette Bentley Smith - AnneCorp Literary Works/Plush-Tales
I am creating a prototype toy that will make reading and being read to fun while helping children learn.
Toppie Tamara Lloyd - Topes Virtual Consulting Bookkeeping
I am a virtual bookkeeper and I help small businesses make confident financial decisions.
M-T Strickland - Metric Mate
Metric Mate is a data analytics company focused on fitness, athletic training, and healthcare. Our patented sensor technology communicates with the Metric Mate mobile application and allows users to collect, track, store, analyze, and share their strength training data.
Topaz Smith - EN-NOBLE
We curate unique immersive experiences that blend popular attractions with subculture communities. We give back 3-5% profit to help build the capacity of Black and brown communities globally.
Paris Rollins - Picky Eaterz
Picky Eaterz teaches young children to develop healthier eating habits. We cater our fun kid meals, as well as a variety of fresh-made baby food, to daycares, preschools, camps, and more.
Jermey Matthews - STEMReads
STEMReads is a mobile and web-app that features a curated list of award-winning and teacher-recommended children's STEM books. We're building a type of IMDb for STEM books. This app provides parents and teachers with a simple, low-cost approach to early STEM learning.
Earl Randolph - PHOTO iD
PHOTO iD improves the property inspection reporting process during risk assessment. We reduce the timeframe to document the condition of a property through our virtual property inspection platform.
Eraina Ferguson - GLU
GLU is a digital marketing agency that helps small businesses piece together their business. We provide digital marketing services, community, and a a weekly newsletter to help entrepreneurs increase their online presence.
Jacquelyn Clemmons - Okionu Birth Foundation
We provide 6 weeks of meals support and group therapy to newly postpartum families.
Marie Roker-Jones - Essteem
We help companies bridge the gap between social good intentions and measurable actions using hackathons.
Jovante Ham - Mel
Mel is an AI-powered business coach that walks entrepreneurs step-by-step through their entrepreneurial journey.
Joi Stokes - Joistik
The Joistik is a patent-pending live stream and recording tool that holds 2 or more mobile devices for live streaming on several apps simultaneously.
D Marie - MyRA Technologies
MyRA is a real-time healthcare staffing platform that directly connects pre-credentialed healthcare professionals with the people who need them.
Cal Burlock - STEMreps
We are a sales and marketing outsourcing platform for technical and scientific solutions.
Lenora Bowler - MAI Box
MAI Box is a bi-monthly self-care subscription box for busy moms. Our mission is to provide moms with an outlet of peace and comfort.
Imani Bashir - The Takeoff Collection
My product is a 3-in-1 travel duffle bag called The Expat Bag. 1/3 is insulated like a lunchbox and 2/3 completely detach and turn into their own backpacks.
Catherine Freeman - AuTKonnect AuTKonnect (Autism Konnect) app is a platform for parents and professionals in the autism & special needs community. We help families search for sensory-friendly hours and vacations, adaptive activities, professional services, and more.
There you have it! Please join me in congratulating our thirty ParentPreneur winners of the Sugar Plum grant!
If our mission to empower Black ParentPreneurs, so they can leave a legacy for their beautiful Black children resonates with you, please make a tax-deductible donation; as little as $25 makes a big difference and every penny counts. If you are a Black ParentPreneur, please join our online community.
Ad astra. 🚀 Hugs,
James
CEO
P.S., We'd like to thank VideoAsk for their support - we used their amazing platform for our grant applications.