Helping social entrepreneurs start and scale their enterprises
KANSAS CITY, Mo.,Dec. 14, 2022/PRNewswire/ -- Today, 1863 Ventures and Ford Motor Company Fund announced theopening of applicationsfor women business owners and social entrepreneurs in theKansas Citymetropolitan area to compete for up to$50,000in a Shark Tank- style competition to start and scale businesses. All women entrepreneurs located inKansas Cityand the 14 surrounding counties are encouraged to apply. Since 2018, Ford Motor Company Fund has awarded$350,000in total funding to women entrepreneurs inKansas City, MO,Washington, D.C.,Miami, FLandDetroit, MI.The deadline to apply isFebruary 10, 2023.
Last month,Kansas Cityentrepreneurs gathered on theUniversity of Missouri-Kansas City campusat the Bloch School of Management for the HERImpact Entrepreneurship Summit. HERImpact, a partnership between Ford Motor Company Fund and 1863 Ventures, provides women business owners & social entrepreneurs with access to capital, training and other critical resources.
Former HERImpact Pitch Competition winnerConner Hazelriggwelcomed attendees and spoke to the imperative of impact and socially conscious work through the development of her company1773 Innovation Co.and its solar-paneled electric charging stations. The acknowledgment of humanity–that business owners should be conscientious–was a common theme addressed during the Entrepreneurship Summit. (Colleen Monroe, Founder ofFloraloom, designs floral arrangements with the support of women's shelters; andCynthia Fails, Founder ofLaunchCrate Publishing, is leveling publishing rights for authors.) Access to capital dominated the conversation, featuringCharlotte Clark创始人之一,Foresightwhich is creating an investability score to replace traditional credit metrics for entrepreneurs;Karis Harrington, Chief of Business Development atKansas City G.I.F.T., granting more than$680,000to 35 Black-owned businesses; among others such asKelli Jones, Managing Partner ofSixty8 Capital, andAnthony Williams, Market President atAltCap,who both added perspective to the stewardship of venture capital funding for underestimated founders.
"The HERImpact program offers a local review of the startup ecosystem in the region," saidMaxwell Young, Director of Communications, 1863 Ventures. " We are excited to return toKansas Cityfor the HERImpact Pitch Competition onMarch 8to financially support women entrepreneurs and the emerging business development inKansas City. We encourage women business owners at the pre-seed and seed level to apply to the competition for the chance to be awarded a cash grand prize."
"Expanding access to capital and mentorship is critical to women's success as they start their own businesses," saidYisel Cabrera, Senior Manager of Economic Mobility at Ford Motor Company Fund. "We are thrilled to invest in women's ambitions through our partnership with 1863 Ventures."
$50,000will be awarded to finalists of the HERImpact Kansas City Pitch Competition onWednesday, March 8, from1-3 PM CST.Applications are now opento women business owners in theKansas Citymetropolitan area (i.e., the 14 counties straddlingMissouriandKansas). The submission deadline isFebruary 10. We invite everyone back to the Bloch School of Management to witness the pitch competition live. The event will also be livestreamed.Register here.For more information please visit:https://1863.smapply.io/prog/herimpact_kc_pitch_2022/.
1863 Ventures is an independent, Black-led national business development nonprofit and venture capital accelerator for New Majority founders (i.e., individuals who have been historically marginalized). TheDistrict of Columbia-based organization supports over 3,200 entrepreneurs acrossthe United States,利用资本投资,所有的课程,grant support, and corporate partnerships to scale businesses from high potential to high growth. Learn more at1863ventures.net.
As the automaker's philanthropic arm, Ford Motor Company Fund has been supporting local communities for more than 70 years. Working with nonprofit organizations, community partners and across the Ford network in the U.S. and in 43 countries, Ford Fund provides resources and opportunities that advance racial equity and empower people to reach their highest potential. Since 1949, Ford and Ford Fund have invested more than$2.2 billionin initiatives that ensure basic needs are met, provide access to essential services, offer tools to build new skillsets and open pathways to high quality jobs. For more information, visitwww.fordfund.orgor join us at @FordFund on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Contact
Maxwell Young
[email protected]
SOURCE 1863 Ventures
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