Shop Small, Dream BIG This Saturday – Your Dollars Can Change Lives!

Small Business Saturday Is Bigger Than You Think

Y'all, can we just pause for a moment?

What an INCREDIBLE year we've had together!

Thanks to the phenomenal support from Wells Fargo Foundation, The UPS Foundation, JPMorgan Chase, b1 Bank, b1 Foundation, The Cynthia E. and Clarence E. Nevels Foundation, and Dallas College Foundation, we've powered TWO game-changing accelerators in 2025. We've watched entrepreneurs in e-commerce, franchising, retail, and professional services absolutely CRUSH their goals – and I'm talking about real transformation, real growth, and real impact in our community.

But here's where it gets even better...

This Small Business Saturday, I'm personally inviting you to put your money where your heart is. 

We're showcasing our brilliant accelerator graduates who are ready to WOW you with their products and services. These aren't just businesses – they're dreams in action, families being fed, communities being strengthened, and barriers being broken down one purchase at a time.

When you shop small and local, you're not just buying a product – you're investing in someone's vision, creating jobs right here in our neighborhoods, and helping level the playing field for entrepreneurs who've been overlooked for far too long. That's POWERFUL, y'all!

Ready to shop? Check out the amazing brands we know, love, and applaud below!  [Keep reading the list is down there.]

Share them with everyone – your cousin, your coworker, that friend who's impossible to shop for. Tell them you found exactly what they need through Start.Pivot.Grow!

And HOLD UP – I haven't even told you the BEST part yet!

THIS SATURDAY, November 29th, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. CT, we're hosting our FIRST ANNUAL Small Business Saturday Pitch Competition! We've got national leaders joining us to judge this virtual showdown, where incredible entrepreneurs will compete for a $10,000 grant from Start.Pivot.Grow. sponsored by The UPS Foundation. That's right – $10,000 to fuel their 2026 growth strategy!

2025 Moderator and Judges

Jasmine Simms | Dr. Valecia Dunbar | Saudia Davis and Moderator Cynthia Nevels

Mark your calendars: 

The winner will be announced during our December 1st CEO Mastermind Group (10:00 - 11:00 a.m. CT), where the phenomenal Dr. Bianca Busch – a licensed psychiatrist – will share game-changing strategies for managing entrepreneurial stress and overwhelm. Trust me, you NEED this session! [Register for CEO Mastermind here]

This is OUR moment, friends. Together, we're not just supporting small businesses – we're revolutionizing what economic equity looks like in action.

Let's make this Small Business Saturday absolutely LEGENDARY!

With excitement and gratitude,

Cynthia

P.S. – Seriously, forward this email right now to three people who care about community impact. Let's flood social media with our love for small businesses! #ShopSmallSaturday #StartPivotGrow

Shop the Start.Pivot.Grow. List

*Former Grant Winners

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Food & Beverage

*Lisa Lindsay | FruiTea Bubbles Café | Food and Beverage | fruiteabubblescafe.com

Andrea Ley | Olla Express Cafe | Food and Beverage | ollaexpresscafe.com

Cassondra Armstrong | Culinary Concepts | Food & Beverage/Catering | chefcassondra.com

Lynn Wilford | Cheeza Pleeza | Retail | cheezapleeza.com

Marisa Gittens | Cook and Run Inc | Food & Beverage/Catering | cookandrun.org

Mary Porter | Delightful Sweets by Mary | Retail | delightfulsweetsbymary.com

Tal Garden | Fun Sesmes DBA Tal's | Food and Beverage | talsmediterranean.com

Laneit Jones | Neitly Vegan Sweets | Food and Beverage | neitlyvegansweets.com

Health & Wellness

Svetlana Olteanu | Best Eye Care | Health and Wellness | mtprospecteyecare.com

Hyacinth Tucker | The Laundry Basket LLC | Health and Wellness | laundrybasketdelivery.com

LaShaundra Shauney Harris | Ahni Beauty Supply | Health and Wellness | ahnibeauty.com

*Tamanika Marshall | La Lueur Health & Wellness | Health & Wellness | lalueurhw.com

Retail

Mary Szabo | Surley Squirrel | Retail | surly-squirrel.com

*Kia-Shun Voltz | Shampoo Time | Retail | www.loveshampootime.com

Ashley Hunt-Woodard | Rosie’s Beauty Spa | Retail | rosiesbeautyspa.com

Natasha Broxton | Select Auto Parts and Sales Inc. | Retail | selectautopartsmilwaukee.com

Professional Services

*Kimberly Parker | Revive to Thrive Wellness | Healthcare Services | revive2thrivewc.com

Janal Reid | Serveway HVAC Repair and Installation | HVAC Services | servewayhvac.com

Steve Sumo | Ocean Breeze Cleaning | Cleaning Services | obcln.com

Brianna Gonzales | The Social Chica | Professional Services | thesocialchica.com

Jennifer Allen | Just Elope | Professional Services | justelopedallas.com

eCommerce

*Wai Yan Htun | XOHALAL LLC | eCommerce/Food | xohalal.com

Seun Olubodun | Duke & Winston | eCommerce | duke-winston.com

Taevia Norris | Books and Brown Sugar LLC | eCommerce | booksandbrownsugarco.com

*Pallavi Pande | DTOCS LLC | eCommerce | dtocs.com

*Monisha Edwards | Scent & Fire | eCommerce | scentandfire.com

*Liz Benditt | The Balm Box | eCommerce | thebalmbox.com

Franchise

*Erica McCrae | Homewatch CareGivers of McDonough | Franchise | hwcg.com

Media and Production

Kurtis Graham | COSIGN Enterprises, LLC | Media and Production | cosignmag.com

*Sammi Bivens | Digital Marketing Maven | Media and Marketing | digimarketingmaven.com

Glenis Rodgers | G. E. Media | Videography | gemediahub.com

Nicolle R. Fuller | SayoStudio | Graphic and Media | sayostudio.com

Education

Kathleen Wainwright | Willa's Tree Studios, LLC | Education | lightbulbliteracy.com

*Sharon Jones-Scaife | Lil' Marco and Friends | Education | lilmarcoandfriends.com

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Grab your small business tools that helped many of our alumni and winners achieve tremendous success in 2025

Great Holiday Gifts On Sale

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