New program to create premium wage jobs and reward business resilience in underserved communities.

San Diego CA— Founders First CDC (Founders First), a 501(c)3 non-profit that empowers expansion in diverse founder-led, revenue-generating businesses, announced its new Job Creators Quest Grant to support underrepresented entrepreneurs in the San Diego area. Ten businesses will each receive a portion of the $30,000 grant.
The Job Creators Quest Grant will create premium wage jobs and reward diverse-led businesses in the San Diego community that have been able to retain and grow their workforce despite the pandemic. Funding for this program was facilitated by a $1 million grant from the Rockefeller Foundation, in conjunction with Founders First Capital Partners’ recent $9 million Series A financing. Additional support is being provided by Union Bank and Pacific Western Bank,
This funding opportunity is paired with access to Founders First stellar business growth accelerator programs and will support businesses generating $100,000 to $3 million in revenue with 2-20 employees led by diverse founders. In order to encourage premium wage job growth, the grants will benefit businesses that have sustained their employee base and will have the ability to add new premium wage jobs in the next year. Diverse founders may be Black, Indigenous, a Person of Color, LGBTQIA+, Military Veteran, Female, or located in a low to moderate-income area.
Shaylon Scott, Executive Director of Founders First, impresses that this grant program is a way to create success beyond the classroom, “Many founders end up working more in their business than on their business. We want to help give them resources to grow, becoming premium wage job creators within their community. Investing in diverse founders is an impactful way to drive job and wealth creation in underserved communities.” Scott continues, “the Job Creators Quest Grant is more than a dollar amount, it’s a celebration of their success.”
Applications close June 25, 2021. Click here to apply for the grant.
To apply for the business accelerator program, visit: https://foundersfirstcdc.org/programs/