Center announces women entrepreneur grant winners
Oct. 31, 2023 — DENTON — The Center for Women Entrepreneurs (CWE), a program of the Jane Nelson Institute for Women’s Leadership at Texas Woman’s University, has selected 25 female entrepreneurs to receive $5,000 awards through its StartHER Grant Program, part of an ongoing effort to boost women-owned businesses in Texas.
The 25 awardees were selected from a pool of 264 applicants across Texas.
“We were happy to see such a robust response from applicants to the StartHER grant program, which indicates the clear need of funding for women-owned businesses,” said Tracy Irby, the center’s director. “We continue to provide this support to allow more Texas women to achieve success in entrepreneurship.”
The following awardees will receive $5,000 to start or expand their businesses:
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| Name | Business | City |
|---|---|---|
| Adrienne Hackney | Meladore, LLC | Carrollton |
| Cherie Turner | Mot8vate | McKinney |
| Emily Chacon | 911 Backflows, LLC | Houston |
| Kavindra Watson | KLW Design Group, LLC | Little Elm |
| Cara Pitts | Southern Roots Vegan | San Antonio |
| Tabitha Martin | Top Choice Laboratory, LLC | Houston |
| Sammi Bivens | Digital Marketing Maven & Associates | Dallas |
| Whitney McElwain | Resette, Inc. | Austin |
| Emily Mack | Vinat, LLC | Fredericksburg |
| Kay Thibodeaux | The Touring Chocolatier, LLC | Justin |
| Denise Castille | Any Day CPR Training, LLC | Anna |
| Angelina Torres | Jelly Nonprofit Consulting | Christoval |
| Erin England | Diaper Concierge, LLC | Dallas |
| Mary Altom | Alkin Solutions, LLC | Prosper |
| Becky Nelson | La Gourmet Baking | Dallas |
| Nsenga Brown | Rescue Life CPR | Austin |
| Kam DeLeon | The Shindig | Dallas |
| Jane Lindsay | Maggie Jane’s Farm, Inc. | Post |
| Aleshia Alexander | Alexander’s Consulting Firm, LLC | Henderson |
| Olivette Fisher | Ollie Oats, LLC | Olmito |
| Kendra Eboigbodin | Victory Creative Learning, LLC | Killeen |
| Ruselle Pham | Bear’s Little Bros. | Corpus Christi |
| Nicole Melki | StringRise, LLC | Plano |
| Beth Roesch | Equate-Ing, LLC | Keller |
| Rachel Bays | Illuminate Video | Houston |
Requests for grant funding included purchases of machinery, marketing materials, technology, equipment and training. To be eligible for grants, the for-profit, woman-owned businesses must be based in Texas or in the process of being established in Texas.
Awardees are required to meet with a small business advisor, submit a business plan and complete a small business training course hosted by the CWE to receive funding. The course will cover topics such as business plan development, marketing, legal matters, insurance, accounting and financing.
The CWE is a program of TWU’s Jane Nelson Institute for Women’s Leadership. The institute is dedicated to preparing women to take on successful roles in business and public service to ensure women have the education to establish careers as successful executives, the skills for building entrepreneurial businesses and the framework needed to run for public office.
Media Contact
Tracy Irby
Director, Center for Women Entrepreneurs
tirby@twu.edu
Page last updated 3:21 PM, October 31, 2023