Boundless Futures Foundation announced its second round of EmpowHer Grants to five women founders for a total of $90,000. The recipients of the grants for women are Ellie Kebler of Archie’s Dog Co., Veronica Apecena of Joyful Jarra, Kristen Dudley of Mother Butter, Cindy Covery of PureWild Co. and Meg Soultz and Dr. Savahanna Wagner of Rescue in Color will all receive grants to elevate their businesses. The Foundation has also awarded a $30,000 Her Village Grant to the Women’s Impact Alliance, a nonprofit organization, to support their work. Boundless Futures is a private foundation founded by Soon and McKeel Hagerty.
Boundless Futures Foundation empowers individuals and nonprofits by offering financial backing and leadership resources to support emerging female entrepreneurs. These entrepreneurs focus on businesses that tackle pressing social issues or incorporate impactful elements into their business models. “As we selected our second-round grantees, we felt truly inspired by each of the hundreds of female entrepreneurs who applied. Seeing women across the country carry out such important work is extraordinary,” said Soon Hagerty. “We feel honored to invest in these individuals and nonprofit organizations. They all continue to create businesses that are making a positive impact not only in their communities but society at large.”
Making a boundless impact with grants for women
Boundless Futures Foundation carefully selects business owners and like-minded nonprofit organizations to receive grants. This round of grantees includes:
Ellie Kebler launched Archie’s Dog Co. in response to her golden retriever’s health problems. Boundless Futures Foundation has awarded $20,000 to support Archie’s Dog Co. The company promotes pet wellness through treats made with USDA-approved, human-grade ingredients. The company donates a portion of its revenue to the Cherryland Humane Society. Based in Traverse City, Michigan, Archie’s Dog Co. partners with Grand Traverse Industries, an IDD employer, for packaging.
Veronica Apecena’s mobile shop and refillery, Joyful Jarra, promotes environmental sustainability while providing package-free personal and home care goods. With a grant of $10,000, Joyful Jarra will continue to foster sustainability and inclusive employment opportunities in Atlanta, Georgia.
Kristen Dudley’s Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, venture, Mother Butter, offers nut-free, seed-based butters in plastic-free packaging. With a $15,000 grant, Mother Butter will sustain its mission of providing accessible and nurturing zero-waste products. These products use regionally sourced ingredients and offer community, online resources and support for other parent-owned small businesses.
Cindy Covery’s PureWild Co, inspired by life in California’s Ojai Valley, produces beverages that incorporate wild, sustainably sourced marine collagen and other organic, wellness-focused ingredients. With a $20,000 grant, Native-owned PureWild Co. will continue to create products and partnerships that support cancer recovery and healthful beverage options.
Dr. Savahanna Wagner and Officer Meg Soultz of Plymouth, Minnesota, combined their knowledge of public and school safety and emergency medicine to create Rescue in Color, an innovative color-coded approach to bleeding control kits. With their $25,000 grant, Rescue in Color will expand the reach of their accessible, effective tool for safeguarding lives.
The Women’s Impact Alliance is a California-based organization that supports the world’s female leaders in social and environmental change through global networks and leadership development coaching. The organization will use its $30,000 grant to aid in scholarships for female entrepreneurs to participate in their coaching program.
Paving the way for transformative impact
Soon and McKeel Hagerty empower grantees with the resources they need to sustain and grow. They have seen first-hand the power of what a female business leader can do to make an impact on her family, community and society at large. Boundless Futures Foundation aims to help level the playing field for female entrepreneurs, who currently only receive about 2 percent of total start-up venture capital dollars in the US, with grants for women The Foundation supports female entrepreneurs and like-minded non-profit organizations through their three pillars:
- Empower: EmpowHer Grants of up to $25,000 are awarded to female entrepreneurs who are at least 22 years old and are in the early stages of starting a business that addresses a social issue or has a purpose-driven concept embedded in its business model.
- Embrace: An Advisory Circle of seasoned female entrepreneurs offers resources. These include leadership development, skills-building assistance, mentorship and networking opportunities to support grantees. Their goal is to foster the development of the Foundation’s grant recipients. They aim to ensure greater strategic-growth thinking, future financial sustainability and peer-to-peer networking.
- Elevate: Her Village Grants are awarded to nonprofits that pave the way for female entrepreneurs. Her Village Grants of up to $30,000 are awarded to eligible 501(c)(3) organizations.
Learn more about past grantees and Boundless Futures Foundation, apply for funding, or obtain other resources by visiting boundlessfutures.org.
About Boundless Futures Foundation
Founded in September 2023 by Soon and McKeel Hagerty, Boundless Futures Foundation provides financial support and leadership resources to aspiring female entrepreneurs 22 years of age and older, so they can have a boundless impact on society. The Foundation empowers women entrepreneurs in the United States by providing grant funding to individuals in the early stages of starting a business that solves a social issue and to mission-aligned nonprofits. The Foundation also provides access for individual grantees to an Advisory Circle, a supportive network during their entrepreneurial journey. For more information, visit boundlessfutures.org.
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