August 16th 2023.
Progressive Insurance®, the leading commercial auto insurer in the United States, is proud to announce this year's recipients of the 2023 Driving Small Business Forward grant. In partnership with Hello Alice, a total of 10 small business owners will receive a $25,000 grant to put towards the purchase of a commercial vehicle.
Despite Black Americans making up 20% of all small business owners, only 4% of them survive the start-up stage. This is largely due to insufficient capital and a lack of support from the business community, according to McKinsey & Company. Through this grant program, Progressive is committed to providing these entrepreneurs with the necessary resources to further their small business journeys.
"At Progressive, we recognize the hurdles that Black business owners face and we want to do our part in helping them succeed," said Karen Bailo, Commercial Lines President at Progressive Insurance. "These 10 deserving recipients have demonstrated the drive and ambition to make their businesses thrive and we are excited to support them. We look forward to seeing how this grant will help them and their communities."
The following are the 10 recipients of the Progressive 2023 Driving Small Business Forward grant:
Derald Gray (owner of DG Visionaries in Indianapolis, IN)
Elizabeth Abunaw (owner of Forty Acres Fresh Market in Chicago, IL)
Theodore Smith (owner of Golfing for Excellence in Washington, D.C)
Muna Mohamed (owner of Kalsoni in Minneapolis, MN)
Shenicia Barnes (owner of Kidz on Wheelz LLC in Mansfield, TX)
Sean Morrison (owner of Lets Ryde NC in Raleigh, NC)
Carmel Mims (owner of Pet Porter Pals in Pasadena, CA)
Robert Randolph (owner of Rob Ran Creative Services in Milwaukee, WI)
Dr. Alecia Gabriel/Deirdre Roberson (co-owners of The Lab Drawer in Detroit, MI)
Kamilah Moss (owner of Tidy Pets Pooper Scoopers in Fort Lauderdale, FL)
We congratulate each of the grant recipients and wish them the best of luck on their business endeavors!
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