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Six Black women have been named the first grant recipients from a multi-million dollar fund created specifically for Black-owned businesses. The $10 million fund is a partnership initiative between PepsiCo and the National Urban League to address the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 on Black business owners.
"As the pandemic exposed existing disparities many minority business owners face, we saw a fundamental threat that could erase the decades of progress Black-owned restaurants have made. This investment will help Black restauranteurs not only recover from the pandemic but set them on a path to long-term economic resilience," C.D. Glin, Vice President, Global Head of Philanthropy at the PepsiCo Foundation, said in a news release earlier this year.
"We are inspired by the progress we are making through our collaboration with the National Urban League to address a fundamental gap and create opportunities for Black business owners to build generational wealth and continue to strengthen their communities," Glin added.
Check out the first round of grant winners below.
Biruk Alemayehu, Owner of Addis Ethiopian Kitchen
Shamara Watson, Co-Owner of Chef's Of The Street
Jasmine Brown, Owner of De'Lish
D'Andra Odom, Co-Owner of Odom's Kitchen Catering
Nickey Stevenson, Owner of Southern Grace Cincy Catering
Check out more of the grant winners and their eateries, by clicking here.
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