Bloom grants awarded to 29 York County entrepreneurs

The Bloom Business Empowerment Center, under the York County Economic Alliance, announced Wednesday that $36,000 was awarded to 29 entrepreneurs in the final two Bloom grant rounds of 2022.

The Women’s Business Center Organization, a program of the alliance, earmarked $22,500 in Bloom grants to 20 small-business owners after a pitch competition held at the WBCO’s December Luncheon.

Also, graduates with perfect attendance during this year’s Bloom Small Business Development Program were invited to apply for a grant to support start-up costs or improve established business services. Finalists pitched their business or business idea during a virtual competition, and the judges awarded $13,500 to nine business owners or rising business owners.

Overall, 66% of the grants went to individuals of color and 93% were awarded to women.

Receiving Women’s Business Center Organization grants were:

· Belle4All Beauty Supply, $1,500

· Dons Divas Salon De Beaute, $1,500

· Essentials Salon & Day Spa LLC, $500

· Goals Salon and Boutique, $500

· Holley Group LLC, $500

· Indigo Bleu, $1,000

· Innovations Hair Studio, $500

· Insatiable Melanin, $1,500

· Little Blessings Children’s Day Care, $1,500

· Locally Seasoned, $1,500

· Meraki IV LLC, $500

· Scholar Styles Beauty Bar & Day Spa, $1,000

· Tetra Design Co., $1,500

· The HRart Center, $1,500

· The Party Palooza LLC, $1,500

· This is a Farmhouse, $1,000

· Triple T’s Catering and Decorating LLC, $1,000

· Tucker & Co. Bakery Café, $1,500

· Verdure Day Spa & Wellness Center, $1,000

· Yoga Steph LLC, $1,500.

And the nine businesses or future businesses awarded grants in the Small Business Development Program perfect attendance round were:

· Creations by Chevonne T LLC, $1,500

· V Pretty, business to be created by Vilma Baez, $1,500

· Eden Sweets and Acai, business to be created by Jailyn Marquez, $1,500

· Soepro Productions and DJ Services, $1,500

· Old McDonald had a Farm Stand, $1,500

· Art is in Rugs, business to be created by Thatiana Baez, $1,500

· C&L Glamour Events & Rentals, $1,500

· Curb Media Group, $1,500

· Fire Life Yoga and Wellness LLC, $1,500.

Paula Wolf is a freelance writer