Five Women-Owned Small Businesses Awarded ‘Fund Her Future’ Grants from Block Advisors by H&R Block to Support Growth, Drive Change
July 09 2024 - 8:04AM
Block Advisors by H&R Block today announced the five
women-owned small businesses winners of the ‘Fund Her Future’ grant
program, which awarded a combined total of $100,000 in grants and a
year of Block Advisors services, including bookkeeping, payroll,
tax preparation, and business formation.
“While we have surpassed our goal to help 500,000 small business
owners by 2025, we specifically launched this grant to empower
women small business owners who are often underrepresented,” said
Jamil Khan, Chief Strategy and Small Business Officer at H&R
Block. “The response was overwhelming, with thousands of
applications from talented women founders who represent the
diversity of backgrounds and lived experiences of women
entrepreneurs across the nation.”
Grand prize grant winner, Heather Jiang founded
Allégorie in 2019 to provide leather alternatives
through plant-based fashion accessories, ultimately helping to
reduce food waste and greenhouse gas emissions. Based in New York
City, the company repurposes discarded fruits and recycled plastic
into durable, stylish bags, backpacks and wallets, bringing
innovative sustainability practices to the fashion and food
industries. Jiang will receive a $50,000 grant and a suite of small
business services from Block Advisors.
“Knowing that our customers keep coming back over the years and
love our products is what gets me out of bed,” said Heather Jiang.
“Fund Her Future will help us unlock our scalability potential and
increase Allégorie’s awareness so we can reach more customers and
expand our sustainability impact.”
The four honorable mentions, each receiving a $12,500 grant and
a year of small business services from Block Advisors, include:
- Erica Cole | No
Limbits based in Richmond, VA: As someone with a
limb difference, Erica created her company to provide stylish but
functional options for those with different mobility, sensory, and
functional needs.
- Ashley Ugarte | Hijita based
in Austin, TX: Using regenerative and agroforestry
practices in her small-batch chocolate company, Ashley, a
first-generation American, shares her rich Mexican heritage and
passion for chocolate with her customers.
- Addie Gundry | Pluie based in
Keller, TX: As a new mom, Addie experienced firsthand the
challenges of changing diapers in unhygienic public bathrooms, so
she created a patent-protected self-sanitizing changing
station.
- Ameka Coleman | Strands of
Faith based in Pearl, MS: A former healthcare
professional, Ameka started her company after noticing many
healthcare patients lacked access to non-toxic haircare products
that celebrated their textured hair.
More than 6,000 applicants submitted to the grant program.
Narrowing down the winners from the thousands of exceptional
submissions was a rigorous process handled by a selection committee
comprised of more than 40 H&R Block associates, including
members of H&R Block’s Women’s Network Belonging Group. The
five winners stood out for their entrepreneurial tenacity and
history of community connection, well-developed plan to leverage
the grant to grow their business, and intent to create positive
change in the world, amongst other factors.
The five winners representing several industries—including
fashion, food, haircare and wellness—will partner with Block
Advisors over a 12-month period, receiving grant funding and access
to a suite of tax preparation and business services from Block
Advisors, including business formation, bookkeeping, payroll, and
Beneficial Ownership reporting.
“We look forward to witnessing how addressing business
challenges with additional resources and support can result in
significant change,” said Khan. “It’s an honor to join these women
entrepreneurs on their journey toward intentional growth and help
them realize their aspirations for business expansion.”
To learn more about Block Advisors,
visit www.BlockAdvisors.com and visit
www.BlockAdvisors.com/FundHerFutureGrant for more information on
the ‘Fund Her Future’ grant program.
About H&R Block
H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE: HRB) provides help and inspires
confidence in its clients and communities everywhere through
global tax preparation
services, financial products,
and small-business solutions. The company
blends digital innovation with human expertise and care as it helps
people get the best outcome at tax time and also be better with
money using its mobile banking app, Spruce.
Through Block
Advisors and Wave, the company
helps small-business owners thrive with year-round bookkeeping,
payroll, advisory, and payment processing solutions. For more
information, visit H&R Block News.
Media Contacts |
|
Media Relations: |
Erika O’Shea, (816) 585-6058, erika.oshea@hrblock.com |
Investor Relations: |
Michaella Gallina, (816) 854-3022,
michaella.gallina@hrblock.com |
|
Jordyn Eskijian, (816) 854-5674, jordyn.eskijian@hrblock.com |
|
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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d5f939b5-6ced-4144-afd6-de128007fa60
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