We are thankful for all the business owners who took the time to share their stories with us. For more details on the challenges and goals of each Grow winner, check out our article here. If you’re interested in staying up-to-date about future opportunities, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and subscribe to our newsletter!
After four months and hundreds of hours spent looking at applications from incredible small business owners across the U.S., we are thrilled to announce the winners of Grow by Invoice2go, a Bill.com company! From over 31,000 applications, the 20 awardees selected represent the passion, perseverance, and dedication of small businesses from traditionally marginalized communities everywhere.
Aside from meeting our terms and conditions, the 20 winners were chosen based on a weighted scale of each entrepreneur's business plan, purpose, feasibility of success, and challenges faced. They were assigned to a 1st-tier cash prize of $15,000, a 2nd-tier cash prize of $10,000, or a 3rd-tier cash prize of $5,000 each. These 20 selected winners will also receive a one-year complimentary Invoice2go subscription to further strengthen their ability to grow over the next year.
Additional prize elements include free access to Invoice2go’s online communities, including Go Getters, Female Founders, and Creative Collective, along with Invoice2go Learn’s business development workshops taught by renowned career coaches and content creators.
A special thank you to our judging panel of five prominent journalists and community leaders who provided their time and feedback during the final selection process:
Candace Waterman, President and CEO of Women Impacting Public Policy
Gene Marks, small business expert, keynote speaker, author, and columnist at publications such as Forbes, The Guardian, and The Hill
Ramon Ray, entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and best-selling author
Rodney Fong, President and CEO of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce
Stephanie Mehta, CEO and Chief Content Officer at Mansueto Ventures, parent of Inc. and Fast Company
$15,000 Winners
Hsin Liu - M Bar (Arkansas)
Website | Instagram | Facebook
Hsin Liu is the owner of M Bar, a drive-thru and delivery restaurant offering healthy food with an Asian twist. Based in Harrison, Arkansas, M Bar’s offerings include everything from fresh salads to mouthwatering coconut shrimp tacos and spicy chicken sandwiches. They support the community by offering free delivery to doctors and nurses at local hospitals.
Karol Rodriguez - Karol Rodriguez (New York)
Website | Instagram | LinkedIn
Karol Rodriguez is a Latinx, non-binary makeup artist and content creator based in NYC. They discovered their love of makeup in their early teens and began creating Snapchat and YouTube tutorials at 18. Karol’s worked with high-profile clients, including Maybelline, Megan Thee Stallion, Jessie Reyez, WolfTyla, and KidSuper.
Leah Hernandez - Young Authors Publishing (Georgia)
Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook
Young Authors Publishing exists to share the stories of Black, Brown, and Indigenous youth. They believe all kids are story-worthy and should see themselves reflected in the books they read. Young Authors Publishing has demonstrated commitment to the community through competitive royalty splits, financial literacy courses, and teaching people of color about the ins and outs of the publishing world.
Robin Oloyede - Colorfull Plates™ (Texas)
Website | Instagram | Facebook
When Robin Oloyede’s son told her he wanted to grow up to be an astronaut, she looked for toys and images of astronauts that looked like him. Unfortunately, she found none. Colorfull Plates™ now helps children of all backgrounds to see themselves as colorfully as they do in their imaginations. They sell a variety of children’s tableware, featuring diverse characters working as astronauts, engineers, doctors, and more.
Sativa Brown - Baron Long Party Rentals (California)
Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook
Baron Long Party Rentals is a Native American-owned party supply rental company that makes events stress-free. For owner Sativa Brown, the goals of Baron Long Party Rentals go far beyond getting paid. “Our community is the reason we started this company,” she shared. “I hope to prove there is a place for Native Americans in business.”
$10,000 Winners
Anjali Nair - The Immigrant Academy (Florida)
LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram
The Immigrant Academy is a mentoring and skill development platform for immigrants looking to jumpstart their careers and integrate with American culture. The goals of the business are to never have another immigrant feel like a foreigner and reduce their unemployment time by 50%. In the first year, owner Anjali Nair grew The Immigrant Academy’s community to 17,000 members.
Ashley Knight-Williams - I'm Still Hungry DC (Washington, D.C.)
Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook
I’m Still Hungry DC provides creative culinary experiences for all occasions. Owner Ashley Knight-Williams takes pride in transforming simple ingredients into imaginative dishes and offers everything from full-service catering to take-out and personal chef services.
Demetria Sweatt - Wellness 4 U (Texas)
Demetria Sweatt, founder of Wellness 4 U, coaches adults in Denton County, Texas. Currently, she’s providing services for recently-paroled women staying in a transitional residential group home. Wellness 4 U provides clients with daily, in-person coaching to help them improve their fitness, health, and life skills.
Derek Collins - Gifted & Lit (Georgia)
Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook
Educator and therapist Derek Collins founded Gifted & Lit to support education and family engagement in Atlanta, Georgia. This comprehensive program uses hip-hop to teach children mathematics, science, language arts, and more. Derek also created Gifted & Fit, which incorporates social-emotional learning and hip-hop to improve young people’s physical fitness.
Ismael Collazo - Blind Guy Boards (South Dakota)
Blind Guy Boards is owned by Ismael Collazo, a woodworker who happens to be blind. However, not being able to see hasn’t stopped him from using power tools to safely create beautiful cutting boards, charcuterie boards, and other items. He also holds workshops and shares tips for those looking to get into woodworking.
Johnny Williams - WilliamsElectric (Texas)
Johnny Williams, owner of WilliamsElectric, provides electrical residential contracting for his community. His business specializes in rewiring houses and installing ceiling fans, switches, outlets, and more. Johnny feels a connection to the young subcontractors that he works with and wants to provide them with personal and professional growth opportunities.
Kristin Christian - Chicago French Press, LLC (Illinois)
Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook
Chicago French Press serves premium freshly roasted coffee and flavorful loose leaf tea. They currently own two brick-and-mortar locations and sell their products at major retailers, including Target, QVC, and Amazon. Five percent of each coffee bag Chicago French Press sells directly benefits disadvantaged communities.
Kobe Boateng - KOBE BOATENG (Washington, D.C.)
Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook
Kobe Boateng has loved film and photography ever since his mom bought him a webcam when he was seven. He’s now established as one of D.C.’s most prolific and sought-after talents. Kobe seeks to create more opportunities for minority models looking to get great images to launch their careers.
Sonya Antoinette Harris - Go Verbal (Florida)
Website | Instagram | Facebook
Go Verbal specializes in helping children on the autism spectrum. Owner Sonya Antoinette Harris is passionate about giving kids a voice and connecting families. “I want to ensure the best learning experience for my patients and families,” she said. “I treat patients locally and use social media to educate acceptance of neurodiversity. This is my passion!”
Tara Cooper - It's Bout Time Beauty Supply (Texas)
When Tara Cooper moved to East Texas in 2008, she found that her new community lacked a beauty supply shop that met her needs – so she decided to create her own. Fast forward a few years, Tara’s It’s Bout Time Beauty Supply offers retail beauty supplies and has a hair salon and a nail spa.
$5,000 Winners
Estephanie Mosquera Ortiz - Beaut&Beast Co (Florida)
Website | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn
Beaut&Beast Co is an educational company that creates resources to help the Black and LatinX communities. Their products build children's literacy, comprehension, and critical thinking skills. Beaut&Beast Co owner Estephanie Mosquera Ortiz aims to bridge the gap in education in diversity, inclusion, and equity for minority communities.
Patricia Brickhouse - Ascension Ranch (Arizona)
Website | Instagram | Facebook
Ascension Ranch promotes food sovereignty and provides hands-on farm education and nature-based activities for children and adults. They believe every person deserves the opportunity to have the health benefits of naturally grown food.
Shana Henry - Muffhens Bakery (Florida)
Website | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn
Muffhens Bakery offers yummy baked goods to those with restrictive diets and life-threatening allergies. They create delicious muffins, cookies, and oatmeal bakes that are vegan, gluten-free, and allergy-friendly.
Shanika Valcour-LeDuff - Labor and Love (Louisiana)
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Shanika Valcour-LeDuff developed Labor and Love to ensure a supportive health professional-led community for women before, during, and after pregnancy. The organization provides professional birth doula services and childbirth education for all expectant families. They also offer postpartum doula support to help families adjust to life with a newborn.
Trevon Williams and Wendy Brehm - Purple Rose Wellness (Maryland)
Website | Instagram | Facebook
Purple Rose Wellness is a Deaf and minority family-owned business specializing in luxury self-care goods and education. They aim to make education around wellness accessible to the Deaf community by providing content in ASL and English.
Congratulations to all our winners!