Bizee Small Business Entrepreneur Grant Winners — Fall 2022

Bizee is excited to announce the next round of entrepreneurial grant winners. We’re looking for the business leaders of tomorrow, and our Entrepreneur Grant Program gives entrepreneurs a chance to get their projects off the ground.

Our Young Entrepreneurs grant spotlights students with big ideas, while our Fresh Start grant is for adult entrepreneurs, whether starting over or starting from scratch.

If you missed this round of applications, don’t worry. You can apply for our next round of grants to be considered in 2023.

Young Entrepreneurs Winner: Patricia Garcia, unithrifts

Patricia is our Young Entrepreneurs grant winner.

Patricia currently lives in California and is getting her masters at USC. As an undergrad, she would often dread walking into campus bookstores stocked full of unaffordable college gear. She had a hunch others may be experiencing something similar, so she surveyed over 1,000 students across the U.S. representing HBCUs and HSIs. The results were the catalyst of unithrifts.

The survey found that over 99% of students agreed that wearing university-branded apparel positively enhances their school spirit. However, over 85% of students stated that this apparel at university bookstores is unaffordable.

Unithrifts is founded under the belief that school spirit is directly tied to students’ value in school culture, academic performance, extracurricular attendance, unity, and belonging. It’s an app that provides access to sustainable collegiate gear for all.

As a low-income student from Miami’s underserved area of Little Havana, Patricia believes the key to business success is the grit of the founder. She showcases this grit by representing the Latinx student entrepreneurial talent in the U.S. and showing the world that, despite the circumstances you’re born into, if you have the drive and resiliency to navigate the waters of adversity — especially in a male-dominated field like entrepreneurship — anything is possible.

To learn more, check out unithrifts' Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Fresh Start Grant Winner: Laura Byrnes, Runners’ Wings

Laura is our Fresh Start grant winner. 

Laura lives in Maryland and has a history of entrepreneurship, helping start a coffee shop and a dental practice previously. Running and fitness have always been a monumentally important part of the life of Laura and her two daughters. But in 2017, her younger daughter, Molly, suffered an accident while running D1 track in college that left her with a disability. Today, after five years of intensive rehabilitation, she is living at home with Laura as the two embark on a new entrepreneurial chapter: Runners' Wings.

Runners’ Wings is a specialty running and fitness store that stocks shoes, insoles, apparel, and other accessories that are accessible to everyone — from seasoned athletes to first-timers and walkers and even those with movement limitations. They offer a personalized fitting service to match customers with the proper footwear and insoles.

Laura believes the joy of entrepreneurship is found in "solving a world or community need." She’s dedicated to inspiring people in her rural Maryland community and beyond to “stay fit, don't quit.”

To learn more, check out Runners’ Wings on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Upcoming Grants: How to Apply + Deadlines

Submissions for the next round of our grant are now open. Apply for your chance to win one of the two grants we have available for budding entrepreneurs: one for students and one for aspiring adult entrepreneurs.

Young Entrepreneur Scholarship Grant

Are you a student with a vision? Then our Young Entrepreneur Scholarship Grant could help provide the support you need. Apply for your chance to win and help launch your unique business idea. The young entrepreneur whose idea most impresses our judges receives $2,500 toward continuing their education.

Requirements:

• Must be a high school senior, undergraduate, graduate, or trade school student
• Must attend a U.S.-based high school, trade school, or university
• Must hold a GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Must have an interest in starting a business

Fresh Start Business Grant

Aspiring entrepreneurs, take note: we want to help you expand your business. The Fresh Start Business Grant is for all adult entrepreneurs, whether they're starting over or beginning from scratch, to make their dreams come true. The grant provides one ambitious individual $2,500 towards startup costs. It also includes Bizee’s Standard Package for free.

Requirements:

• Must be 21 years or older
• Must be a U.S. resident
• Must be planning to start a new business or grow and expand an existing business

How to Apply

The next deadlines for the grants are December 31, 2022, and March 31, 2023. What you need to do:

• Complete the online application.
• Create a short 2-minute video explaining how entrepreneurship will impact your life.
• Submit a sample business plan.

Chase Your Dream Business. Apply Today.

Funding is one of the biggest hurdles faced when starting up the business you've always wanted. When you apply for our grant program, you’re taking the first step in breaking down those financial barriers. Apply today — your future entrepreneurial self will thank you.