The Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE) today announced that they will receive a $1.5 million philanthropic investment from Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC). The momentous investment aims to scale Wells Fargo’s continuous support of the phenomenal work at RICE through initiatives aimed to develop small businesses, facilitate access to capital, curate dedicated learning spaces, and expand RICE’s reach and impact throughout Atlanta and beyond.
To kick off the grant announcement, RICE and Wells Fargo hosted a pop-up holiday market at the Russell Center featuring a variety of products from RICE entrepreneurs in celebration of small businesses doing wonders for their community. During the marketplace, The Bank of Doing and RICE surprised five distinguished RICE stakeholderswith a combination of grants and resources specifically tailored to their companies’ needs to help them achieve their business goals as they enter the busy holiday season. The RICE-selected entrepreneurs include:
-
Louis Deas, CEO of Try Deas and Other Treats
-
Marsha Francis, Founder of STE(A)M Truck
-
Evana & Zoe Oli, Co-founders of Beautiful Curly Me
-
KaCey Venning, Co-Founder of HEY! Helping Empower Youth
-
Tony Cruver, CEO of Cruvie Clothing Company
“When we opened the doors of RICE in 2019, our vision was clear: to create a thriving ecosystem where Black entrepreneurs could turn their dreams into successful businesses,” shared Jay Bailey, President and CEO of RICE. “Wells Fargo, as one of our inaugural partners, shared this vision from the very beginning, and their support has been instrumental in our journey. Today, as we celebrate their $1.5 million investment in our work, we see our vision taking an even more expansive form. This generous contribution is helping RICE to accelerate our mission to build Black business.”
“RICE’s mission to inspire and empower Black entrepreneurs is more critical than ever, as these small businesses are among the…
Read the full article here