Keep It Local Business Fund Grants Awarded to Entrepreneurs of Color Across the Country

Today on #GivingTuesday, the Nextdoor Kind Foundation awarded 20 U.S. small business owners of color microgrants from the Keep It Local Business Fund. In partnership with the NAACP, the largest and most preeminent civil rights organization in the nation, and Hello Alice, the free platform helping over one million small businesses launch and grow, today’s grantees join the Keep It Local Business Fund which has awarded $200,000 in microgrants this year to community entrepreneurs.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231128404595/en/

Nextdoor Kind Foundation's Keep It Local Business Grant Recipients, November 2023 (Graphic: Business Wire)

“These 20 entrepreneurs demonstrated not only a clear vision and plan for their businesses, but a drive to create solutions, opportunities and positive change for their communities,” said Shireen Santosham, Executive Director of the Nextdoor Kind Foundation. “It's a privilege to introduce these innovative business owners as Keep It Local Business Fund grant recipients and connect them with financial resources and a network of cohorts to help fuel their ongoing growth.”

During the application period for this grant round, more than 11,000 applications were received from across the country. Unified by a vision for growth and a commitment to their communities, this period’s grantees represent a diverse spectrum of proposals and industries spanning real estate and preservation, wellness and beauty, counseling and educational services, culinary and more.

Below are the November 2023 Keep It Local Business Fund Grant Recipients:

1. Adara Spa | Raleigh, North Carolina
2. The Daisy Refillery | San Francisco, California
3. Delivery Team USA | Charlotte, North Carolina
4. Eddie Wright BBQ | Jackson, Mississippi
5. The Gala Empire, LLC | Miami, Florida
6. Flikshop | Washington, DC
7. FreeJac Nation | Oakland, CA
8. His Kingdom Carriers | St. Louis, Missouri
9. JJ RE Group | Atlanta, Georgia
10. I Know a Place | Los Angeles, California
11. Kindness and Mischief Coffee | Los Angeles, California
12. The Maven School for Early Childhood Development | Cleveland Heights, Ohio
13. Paramount Pediatrics | Atlanta, Georgia
14. Progression’s U Steam Academy | Davie, Florida
15. Sharpe Session | Lithonia, Georgia
16. Skin 360 Beauty Institute | Brandon, Florida
17. Trust Your Grind LLC | Upper Marlboro, MD
18. UpTopFunnelCakes | Clinton, MD
19. Vie Beauty | Atlanta, Georgia
20. Walk With Me Counseling Center | Chicago, Illinois

“What I love most about being an entrepreneur is the knowledge that every minute I invest in my business is a value-added contribution. It's a gift to work for myself and a blessing to build and support my community. Every day, I get to invest in my community and provide jobs to skilled individuals in property maintenance,” said Brittany Walsar, founder of Delivery Team USA. “We are THRILLED that Delivery Team USA has been awarded this grant that means the world to us and our community. With this funding, we're creating jobs and preserving property values, all while strengthening our local community from within.”