If Grants for Black-Owned Businesses Are Eliminated, Your Favorite Beauty Brands Could Be Too

Says Dozie, her first grant was from the Fearless Fund, and securing that $20,000 made a world of difference for her business. “You take so many losses in business, so you have to really enjoy the wins. This grant gave me the oxygen that I need to keep going,” she recalls. “I needed the money at exactly that time, so there was a big sense of relief too.” Kane shares a similar sentiment. Since launching KIN Apparel in 2020, she has won five non-dilutive grants totalling around $225,000. “I felt blessed, relieved, reassured, excited, and motivated,” she says. “It meant that I could buy inventory, pour cash into branding and marketing, and stop taking pre-orders. It meant I could build my business without worrying about funding—it was a release of stress.” “I was one of 20 winners selected from 11,000 applicants,” says Burke-Williams, who received a BOTOX Cosmetic and IFundWomen grant this year. “This gave me a confidence boost. It meant we are on the right track with Ourside, and that what we are building matters.” Money aside, being the recipient of a grant can also create a sense of community among other winners and the larger organization, which can...