Mini-Becas, Acelera Tu Negocio Con Ascender

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re launching the Mini-Becas, Acelera Tu Negocio Con Ascender Latinx Mini-Grants Program. This initiative aims to support and uplift the vibrant Latinx community in Allegheny County by providing mini-grants of up to $5,000 to Latinx-owned startups and small businesses. We will also award a $500 mini-grant to an aspiring youth Latinx entrepreneur.

Latinx entrepreneurs make a significant impact on the U.S. economy. A recent Stanford Business report found that more than 3 million people are employed by nearly 350,000 Latinx-owned businesses. However, accessing capital is still a major obstacle.

In 2022, Latinx-owned businesses faced greater difficulty securing approval for loans despite having three times the gross revenue of White-owned businesses, lower debt, and comparable credit scores. Although not a magical fix to the problem, the mini-grants will provide local Latinx companies with much-needed cash for essential expenses like equipment upgrades, marketing initiatives, or new software to expand operations and grow their teams.

Our Executive Director, Nadyli Nuñez stated, “As a Latina myself, these mini-grants are our way of saying, ‘We see you, we support you, and we’re here to help you level up.’ Latinx entrepreneurs bring so much dynamism to Allegheny County’s business scene, infusing it with energy, innovation, and a vibrant tapestry of cultures. I couldn’t be happier to do this!”

A Latinx business owner selling beverages during a pop-up market at Ascender.

Anyone interested in the funding has until Sunday, October 1, 2023, to make their case for why they deserve it by making a two-minute video, in which they should lay out how receiving a grant will help them meet a business goal. Nuñez noted that Ascender aims to complement the work other Pittsburgh organizations have done to support the local Latinx community.

Eligibility Criteria:

Two Latina entrepreneurs talking at Ascender.

“We want to be able to be part of supporting wonderful organizations like Casa San Jose, the Latino Community Center, and the Pittsburgh Hispanic Development Corporation in Beechview, who are doing incredible work to support these entrepreneurs,” she said. “We want to be able to add some dollars to that as well.”

The mini-grant winners will be announced during a free, in-person Celebration Event at Ascender on Saturday, October 14, 2023, from 4–6 PM. promising an exciting evening spotlighting Pittsburgh’s Hispanic/Latinx business community. All are invited to celebrate the diversity, creativity, and resiliency of our local Hispanic/Latinx business community and enjoy refreshing beverages, flavorful bites, and lively entertainment from local Latinx vendors.

“Ascender supports all kinds of entrepreneurs, regardless of race, gender, age. But what we understand is that the population of Pittsburgh is majority white, non-Hispanic,” commented Nuñez. “It’s important for communities like the Latinx entrepreneurs and Black entrepreneurs to increase their chance of receiving funding because the stats show they need it.”

Thanks to a collaboration with Bakery Square, this grant initiative is slated to be available annually during Hispanic Heritage Month for the following three years. Nuñez emphasized that if you’re a Latinx entrepreneur who isn’t chosen for funding during this round, you shouldn’t lose hope, as Ascender may have future opportunities for you.

“If you’ve got more going on for you than you realize, it would be our honor to know about what you’re working on,” Nuñez said. “If you win this time, amazing. If you don’t win this time, regardless, we will keep you in mind for future opportunities, whether we might be hiring you for an upcoming event [or] we might be sending you other mini-grant programs.”

Other companies, organizations, and individuals interested in funding more Latinx entrepreneurs can contribute to the mini-grant campaign via Ascender’s website.

For more information and grant guidelines in Spanish, visit www.ascenderpgh.com/hhm-grants.

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From fledgling tech companies, healthcare innovators, and nonprofits to makers, creators, services and shops, Ascender is for Pittsburgh’s entrepreneurs. We help businesses of all types in the Pittsburgh region start and build a business through education and connectivity. See how Ascender can help you.

Ascender Empowers Latinx Entrepreneurs with Mini-Grant Program was originally published in Ascender on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.