We are thrilled to share with you the 25 recipients of our $10K COVID-19 relief grants for women-owned businesses!

Last month, GingerBread Capital established a $250,000 grant fund to provide financial relief to women small-business owners facing hardships due to the coronavirus crisis. Teaming up with IFundWomen, we solicited applications from May 7-20, from women running “Main Street” businesses in 14 of the hardest hit states who were doing all they could to keep their doors open.

The response was overwhelming — in just two weeks, we received more than 900 applications, from amazing women all over the US who shared their stories, hopes and dreams, and challenges with us. After careful and thoughtful vetting with the help of our partners at IFundWomen, we selected these 25 fantastic entrepreneurs operating some of the best small businesses in America.

Our grant recipients run local restaurants, cleaning services, hair salons, health & wellness practices, and other small enterprises that typically don’t wind up on the radars of venture capitalists but that are vital to fueling the engine of our country’s economy. And what our grantees all have in common are the characteristics we value in our women founders — grit, resilience, determination, and a spirit that never, ever gives up.

Watch our “sizzle reel” to learn more about our grant program. Then, scroll down to meet all of our grant recipients and click on the links to visit their individual crowdfunding campaigns on the IFundWomen platform and help continue supporting their businesses.

Meet our grant recipients!

Babybangz Lead Stylist Anastasia Ebel

BE Love Enterprises | Babybangz Natural Hair Salon + Spa

New Orleans, La.

Offering holistic hair care services to women of color.

Beyond Services Founder/CEO Rocio Watts

Beyond Services, Inc.

Beaumont, Cal.

Building a marketing and networking platform for Small Cleaning Providers, especially those specializing in COVID-19 services.

Blade Craft Barber Academy Owner Lilly Benitez

Blade Craft Barber Academy

Dallas, Tex.

Educating the next generation of barbers and hair specialists.

Watch Lilly’s recent interview of GBC Founder Linnea Roberts! 

Bottom Line Construction + Development Founder/CEO Alexis McSween

Bottom Line Construction + Development

New York, N.Y.

Teaching students of color about sound construction administration, management software, key OSHA safety elements, back office administration, and internship opportunities.

Conscious Eatery Co-founders Cierra Laub + Chaz Rowlan

Conscious Eatery

Seattle, Wash.

A locally-sourced philanthropic restaurant in Seattle providing meals to the homeless for every meal it serves.

Earth Angel Founder/CEO Emellie O’Brien

Earth Angel

Brooklyn, N.Y.

A full-service sustainability consulting firm servicing the entertainment industry and providing the strategy, skilled labor, supplies, and analytics to reduce the environmental impact of film, broadcast, and live event productions.

Forward Times’ second-generation Publisher/CEO Karen Richards

Forward Times Publishing Company (Houston Forward Times)

Houston, Tex.

The largest, independent and consecutively published newspaper in the Southern region, keeping the Black community informed since its founding in 1960.

Fox + Son Co-owner Rebecca Foxman

Fox & Son Fancy Corn Dogs

Philadelphia, Penn.

Serving high-quality, county-fair style gluten free foods that are hand made with locally sourced ingredients in an open and safe work environment.

Happy Seniors Daycare Owner Trinh Bui-Kokkoris (in pink dress) with her team

Happy Seniors Daycare

Brooklyn, N.Y.

A social adult day care center that serves low-income senior citizens and disabled adults in the community; and offers English as-a-second language classes.

Kreyol Essence CEO Yve-Car Momperousse

Kreyol Essence

Miami, Fla.

Bringing natural hair, skin, and body products from Haiti to the world.

The Ladipo Group Founder/CEO Tonya Ladipo

The Ladipo Group

Philadelphia, Penn.

Providing access to free and high-quality psychological therapy to Black and African-American communities.

Lake Anne Brewhouse Co-owner Melissa Romano

Lake Anne Brewhouse

Reston, Va.

An award-winning husband-and-wife run microbrewery taproom offering small-batch craft beers.

Mingle Juice Bar Co-founders Leslie Mendoza Temple, MD + Kimberly King

Mingle Juice Bar

Glenview, Ill.

Offering Chicagoland’s healthiest, most delicious smoothies, acai bowls, soups, and other nutritious fare.

Princeton Speech-Language + Learning Center Director of Operations Carole Drury

Princeton Speech-Language + Learning Center

Princeton, N.J.

Offering comprehensive speech-language and psychoeducational evaluations as well as social learning groups, psycho-therapy, executive function therapy, and individual /group speech-language therapy.

Rebel Nell Co-founder/CEO Amy Peterson (front, 2nd from left) with her team

Rebel Nell

Detroit, Mich.

Providing women who are economically disadvantaged with a marketable skill (jewelry making), educational classes (i.e. financial literacy, women empowerment, health and wellness), housing and transportation assistance, and a other support.

The Red Door Group Founder/CEO Reign Free

The Red Door Group

Oakland, Calif.

A catering community of a fun-loving, discerning chefs and event producers who are faithful in providing food that heals and inspires.

Salon Anovin Owner Khanthamone Kate Volarath (r) with her crew

Salon Anovin

Carpentersville, Ill.

Making clients not only look good, but feel good about themselves, too.

Student Maid Founder/CEO Kristen Hadeed (bottom left) with her student crew

Student Maid

Gainesville, Fla.

Providing leadership and entrepreneurial education to students while they earn an income cleaning homes and offices.

Thamee Co-founder Simone Jacobsen (r) with her mother, award-winning Chef Jocelyn Law-Yone

Thamee

Washington, D.C.

Offering authentic Burmese cuisine and educational courses in the beverage arts to low-income and immigrant students.

Total Performance Physical Therapy Owner/Physical Therapist Heather Moore (r) with client

Total Performance Physical Therapy

North Wales, Penn.

Offering a hands-on, patient centered approach to help people who have previously failed in physical therapy and have lost hope, treating the pain that doesn’t show up on X-ray or MRI to allow them to continue their lives pain free.

Txikito Owner Alex Raij

Txikito

New York, N.Y.

This popular NYC restaurant is a “love letter” to the Basque country in Spain offering humble ingredients like beans and peppers alongside aged farmhouse cheeses, pristine seafood, and meat dishes featuring unique breeds of lamb and cattle.

Tygabox Co-founder/Owner Nadine Cino

Tygabox

New York, N.Y.

Helping significantly reduce individuals’ and companies’ moving costs with its unique system of stackable, reusable plastic containers.

VB Consulting Founder/CEO Valaurie Lee

VB Consulting, Inc.

College Park, Ga.

An IT firm providing consulting services to colleges and universities for over 18 years, and now helping institutions and students navigate online education options during the coronavirus crisis.

Villa Mexico Owner Julie King

Villa Mexico

Boston, Mass.

Bringing authentic, homemade Mexican food to the people of New England.

Zebra Strategies Founder/CEO Denene Rodney

Zebra Strategies

New York, N.Y.

Providing compassionate and empathy-led research to help businesses better serve the needs of cross-cultural, vulnerable, and hard-to-reach populations.

Many thanks to our partners at IFundWomen for their invaluable support of this program and all the incredible entrepreneurs we have been grateful to get to know through their network. You inspire us every day!