Asheboro Small Business Incentive Program

Funded through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), this program offers matching grants for eligible improvements to commercial properties in Downtown Waukesha and nearby central city areas.

Inspired by Founders First CEO, Kim Folsom’s brother, U.S. Navy Veteran Stephen L. Tadlock, the $25,000 fund will make investments of $1,000 each to 25 veterans who are running employer-based small businesses across the country.

The Build Our Future Grant Pilot Program and Fund (Fund) is a financing resource operated by the Maryland Department of Commerce (Commerce), to provide grants for innovation infrastructure projects intended to support innovation in an eligible technology sector. Grant awards may be used to defray the cost a grantee incurs to acquire, construct, rehabilitate, install, improve, or equip an eligible innovation infrastructure project.

The Lifting Up Small Businesses in Woodbridge Grant provides Woodbridge, New Jersey small businesses with $5,000 grants to support business expansion and growth-related activities, with 25 businesses selected to receive funding. Administered through a partnership between Optimum Business and the Woodbridge Metro Chamber of Commerce, the program is designed to strengthen and empower the local small business community and foster broader economic growth across the Woodbridge area. To be eligible, applicants must operate a business with a brick-and-mortar location in one of ten designated Woodbridge zip codes, have 10 or fewer full-time employees, and be in good standing with all federal, state, and local laws and taxing jurisdictions. Eligible business entity types include Business Corporations, Not-for-Profit Corporations, Limited Liability Companies, General Partnerships, Limited Partnerships, and Sole Proprietorships. Each applicant must designate a Primary Contact who is at least 18 years old, owns at least 51 percent (or is the largest equity owner) of the business, and is duly authorized to apply on behalf of the company. All applicants must agree to a background check. Previous Lifting Up Small Business Grant recipients are not eligible to reapply. Woodbridge Chamber of Commerce membership and Optimum Business customer status are not considered in the evaluation, and applicants who are not current Chamber members receive a 6-month complimentary membership upon applying. Grant funds may be used solely for business expansion and growth-related activities and cannot be used to pay past or existing debt. Approved grants are distributed by check made out to the business.

The Rooted In Growth Grant awards four U.S.-based hair care businesses with $50,000 each in flexible grant funding, plus access to a founder-focused mentorship program, networking opportunities with industry leaders, and brand visibility across amika's and Fifteen Percent Pledge's marketing channels. Presented by amika, a professional haircare brand, in partnership with the Fifteen Percent Pledge (a racial equity and economic justice nonprofit that calls on major retailers and corporations to commit at least 15 percent of their shelf space, sales revenue, and annual spend to Black-owned businesses), the program is built to back the next generation of underrepresented professional haircare founders with capital and structured support. The program is aimed at founders from communities that have historically been overlooked by traditional funding streams. Eligible underserved founders include (but are not limited to) those from Black, African, or African American, AAPI, Hispanic, Latino, Latina, or Latinx, or LGBTQIA+ backgrounds, as well as parents with earned income below the poverty level, first-generation immigrants, and women. Founders from any background traditionally overlooked by traditional funding may apply regardless of race. Acceptance of the grant carries a commitment to fully participate in amika's Rooted In Growth mentorship and networking program, which spans several months and includes an in-person kickoff event at amika HQ in New York City, virtual mentorship sessions three times per month, and participation in a major industry trade show. Travel and accommodations for in-person events are covered by amika. To qualify, applicants must operate in the hair care space (tools, wigs, color, extensions, or products), currently sell a CPG product, be U.S.-based with annual revenue under $2.5 million, and be at least 51 percent owned by underserved founders. Applicants must currently sell to or aspire to expand into professional distribution channels such as salon distributors or direct-to-stylist. Additional requirements include a clear mission of inclusivity and community impact, products that reflect inclusive values and consumer needs, and readiness to share their story and engage in the mentorship and brand-building components of the program. Applications are reviewed by a joint committee composed of members from the Fifteen Percent Pledge and amika, and finalists are selected based on the strength of the founder's story, mission, and purpose, business viability and opportunity for growth, clear demonstration of community impact and inclusive values, and readiness for brand amplification and storytelling.