Boundless Futures Foundation Announces Inaugural Grants Supporting Female Entrepreneurs Committed To Doing Good

$120,000 EmpowHer and Her Village Grants Awarded

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich., Jan. 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Boundless Futures Foundation, a private foundation founded by Soon and McKeel Hagerty, today announced its inaugural EmpowHer grants to three female founders for a total of $60,000: Tatiana Freeman of Nosh Posh, Tina Arroyo of Spectacle Society, and Stephanie Blanchard of Artisan Joy. The Foundation's first Her Village nonprofit grant recipients, Traverse Connect and the Center for Women and Enterprise, will receive a total of $60,000.

Boundless Futures Foundation is unlocking the potential of individuals and communities by providing financial support and leadership resources for aspiring female entrepreneurs who are building businesses that either address today's biggest social issues or have an impact element embedded in their business model. The Foundation also supports mission-aligned nonprofits throughout the US.

"We are truly inspired by the hundreds of grant applications we received and encouraged by the inspirational ventures that these female founders are championing. As an entrepreneur myself, it is rewarding to highlight innovative solutions and business models that include sustainable practices, ethical sourcing or unique approaches to solving social issues," said Soon Hagerty. "Boundless Futures Foundation believes that investing in individuals and nonprofit organizations will not only benefit the recipients directly but also contribute to a ripple effect of positive impact throughout society."

Making a Boundless Impact

The grant recipients are carefully selected business-owners who align with Boundless Futures Foundation's mission to empower and uplift female entrepreneurs and like-minded nonprofit organizations.

Tatiana Freeman's idea for Minnesota-based Nosh Posh grew out of her own personal experience, seeing how healthy changes in diet and food choices can improve lives. Her business offers healthy snack boxes sourced from small, female- and BIPOC-owned producers and stocks branded vending machines intended to provide healthy alternatives in 'food desert' pockets of the community. Thanks to the Boundless Futures Foundation, Nosh Posh will receive a $25,000 grant to further its work to change the pattern of low access to healthy food in North Minneapolis and beyond.

"For me, being an entrepreneur is about solving problems and creating solutions for people," said Tatiana Freeman, Founder of Nosh Posh. "The Boundless Futures Foundation grant will allow me to scale my business to reach more people and raise awareness for delicious healthy snack alternatives because access to healthy food shouldn't be about income or the value of your humanity. The Foundation's support is a beacon of hope for countless others striving to break barriers and make an impact in the world."

Tina Arroyo, ABOC, is an optician who opened her business, Spectacle Society, after recognizing an industry trend of poor personal service. When she opened Spectacle Society in December 2020, Arroyo emphasized individualized custom curated appointments and stocking handcrafted frames by small independent producers in her business model. Giving back to the community has been a pillar of her business since the opening. In fact, in 2023, she collected donations of new and gently used glasses to benefit housebound and underserved seniors in the Detroit community. Spectacle Society will receive a grant of $20,000 to scale both her business model and giving efforts.

Artisan Joy founder Stephanie Blanchard utilizes her media platform to amplify creative entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds and artistic disciplines, especially women and people from underrepresented groups. Artisan Joy publishes an online and print magazine featuring in-depth interviews with creative entrepreneurs, photos of their art and goods, and information on where consumers can purchase them. Blanchard's vision for Artisan Joy is for established and aspiring creative entrepreneurs to have a destination for inspiration, business tips, and publicity for their businesses. Boundless Futures Foundation will award Artisan Joy a grant of $15,000 to support her platform's growth into new markets.

Traverse Connect, the lead economic development organization for Michigan's Grand Traverse region, provides programming developed to support women at each stage of their careers, to grow as emerging leaders, develop their businesses, and to gain the skills needed to grow as community entrepreneurs and leaders. Boundless Futures Foundation will award Traverse Connect a $30,000 Her Village grant over two years toward scholarships for women participating in three of their programs.

"This grant allows us to provide a 50% scholarship to female leaders for professional development programs, removing a cost-prohibitive barrier to entry, and creating greater access," said Brenda McLellan, Vice President of Investor Engagement for Traverse Connect. "We are honored that the Boundless Futures Foundation shares in our commitment to foster a collaborative network of entrepreneurs and change-makers in the Traverse City region."

In addition, Boundless Futures Foundation will award the Center for Women and Enterprise (CWE) a $30,000 Her Village grant to fund their female entrepreneurship programming. For more than 25 years, CWE has been helping aspiring female entrepreneurs and women business owners in New England launch, build, and grow their businesses by providing greater access to the resources, tools, and support they need to achieve success. 

Paving the Way for Transformative Impact
Having seen first-hand the power of what a female business leader can do to make an impact on her family, community, and society, Soon and McKeel Hagerty hope their Foundation will help level the playing field for funding female entrepreneurs, who currently only receive about 2% of total start-up venture capital dollars in the US.¹ The Foundation supports women entrepreneurs and like-minded non-profit organizations through a trifecta of resources:

• Empower EmpowHer grants of up to $25,000 are awarded to female entrepreneurs who are at least 22 years old and are in the early stages of starting a business that addresses a social issue or has a purpose-driven concept embedded in its business model.
• Embrace An Advisory Circle of seasoned female entrepreneurs offers resources including leadership development, skills-building assistance, mentorship, and networking opportunities to support grantees. Their goal is to foster the development of the Foundation's grant recipients, ensuring greater strategic-growth thinking, future financial sustainability, and peer-to-peer networking.
• Elevate other nonprofits that pave the way for female business owners. Her Village grants of up to $30,000 are awarded to eligible 501(c)(3) organizations that benefit female entrepreneurs.

Learn more about Boundless Futures Foundation, apply for funding, or obtain other resources by visiting boundlessfutures.org. 

About Boundless Futures Foundation
Founded in September 2023 by Soon and McKeel Hagerty, Boundless Futures Foundation provides financial support and leadership resources to aspiring female entrepreneurs 22 years of age and older so they can have a boundless impact in society. The Foundation empowers women entrepreneurs in the United States by providing grant funding to individuals in the early stages of starting a business that solves a social issue and to mission-aligned nonprofits. The Foundation also provides access for individual grantees to an Advisory Circle, a supportive network during their entrepreneurial journey. For more information, visit boundlessfutures.org and follow Boundless Futures on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Media Contact
Emily Hammett, Salt + Ruttner Communications
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¹https://pitchbook.com/news/articles/female-founders-dashboard-2021-vc-funding-wrap-up

SOURCE Boundless Futures Foundation