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EMPOWERING VISIONARY FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS

About the Grant

The Dream Makers Founder Grant is a $1 Million grant fund that has been established by Nancy R. Twine to drive a dedicated effort to support female entrepreneurs, particularly spotlighting the talents and innovations of Black and BIPOC founders in the consumer goods industry. This grant aims to bridge the resource gap and help emerging businesses flourish, reach new audiences, and achieve their full potential.

Year 1 Grant Details

For Beauty/Wellness Brand Founders
Sephora Accelerate

Sephora Accelerate is a brand incubation program dedicated to building a community of innovative, inspirational brand founders in beauty. With a focus on founders who are people of color, their goal is to ensure there are brands in the beauty industry representative of the colors, races, and ethnicities that make up the Americas.   

The Dream Makers Founder Grant has partnered with Sephora Accelerate as a 2024 grant-giving partner given the program’s commitment to supporting underrepresented female founders in the beauty & wellness space. 

All brands within the 2024 Sephora Accelerate Cohort will be awarded support from the Dream Makers Founder Grant. 

The 2024 Sephora Accelerate cohort has already been selected.  If you are a beauty brand founder and are interested in applying for the 2025 Sephora Accelerate Cohort program, learn more by accessing the button below.

Learn More

For Non-Beauty/Wellness Brand Founders
Fifteen Percent Pledge

The Fifteen Percent Pledge is a racial equity and economic justice non-profit organization working towards a more equitable economic future. In recognition that Black people in the U.S. make up nearly 15% of the population, Fifteen Percent Pledge is calling on major retailers and corporations to commit a minimum of 15% of their annual purchasing power to Black-owned businesses, in addition to other internal and external efforts to support closing the racial wealth gap and supporting Black entrepreneurs.

The Dream Makers Founder Grant has partnered with Fifteen Percent Pledge as a 2024 grant-giving partner given the program’s commitment to supporting underrepresented female founders in the consumer space.

Application Closed for 2024

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Criteria
  1. Must be a United States-based business with at least 51% female ownership. 
  2. Must be a member of the Fifteen Percent Pledge’s Business Equity Community. 
  3. Must sign up and submit full business details with Fifteen Percent Pledge. Any missing business data will render the applicant ineligible. 
  4. Must have an annual revenue of at least $100K and no greater than $1 Million USD.
  5. Must have between 2-10 employees, including the founder. 
  6. Must foster inclusivity and showcase community impact by pushing against systemic infrastructures that have not prioritized unique consumer needs. 
  7. Must sell a product or good. 
  8. Must sell a CPG product that is NOT in the Beauty Category:
    1. Skincare 
    2. Makeup 
    3. Hair care 
    4. Body care 
    5. Nail care 
    6. Fragrance 
    7. Wellness products such as supplements, ingestibles, and nutritional powders 
  9. Winning businesses must use grant dollars only towards marketing, manufacturing, R&D.  

Show Your Support

Your tax-deductible support may allow the Dream Makers Founder Grant to extend beyond the 4-year period and reach new partners and businesses to make a significant difference in the journey of aspiring female entrepreneurs.

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My Why

“In 2014, I launched Briogeo at Sephora as the youngest Black female founder, marking a significant milestone in a world often resistant to change. Despite early funding challenges, Sephora believed in my vision and served as a beacon of hope.

In 2021, I joined Sephora’s Accelerate program, mentoring BIPOC and underrepresented beauty brand founders. Sharing my experiences helped them avoid common pitfalls and confidently scale their businesses. This experience strengthened my commitment to empowering underrepresented female founders.

Early-stage funding can be challenging, particularly for founders without access to friends & family capital or institutional investors. Drawing from my own journey, I established the Dream Makers Founder Grant, to provide crucial, no-strings-attached funding to underrepresented female founders.

I am grateful to those who supported me and am thrilled to pay it forward. I hope the Dream Makers Founder Grant, combined with mentorship, will inspire and empower underrepresented female founders to relentlessly pursue their dreams. Together, we can shape the future of business and create a world where all founders have an opportunity to thrive.”

— Nancy Twine