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Founders First in the news.

The leading inclusive business accelerator and growth partner.

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Founders First Accelerator and Funding Programs Lead 7 Diverse-Led Businesses to Inc. 5000 List of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies

County of San Diego and Founders First Launch Business Pilot Programs

County of San Diego and Founders First Community Development Corporation Launch Pilot Programs to Strengthen Local Businesses

2024 Stephen L. Tadlock Veteran Grant Finalist Announcement

The fund provided $25,000 in grant funds to 25 Veteran business owners across the nation.

2024 Pride Fund Grant Finalist Announcement

The fund provided $25,000 in grant funds to 25 LGBTQIA+ business owners across the nation.

2024 Kitty Fund Grant Finalist Announcement

The fund provided $25,000 in grant funds to 25 Mom business owners across the nation.

2024 Pride Fund Launch Announcement

The fund is offering a total of $25,000 in grant funds to 25 LGBTQIA+ business owners across the nation.

2024 Kitty Fund Grant Finalist Announcement

The fund provided $25,000 in grant funds to 25 Mom business owners across the nation.

2024 Pride Fund Launch Announcement

The fund is offering a total of $25,000 in grant funds to 25 LGBTQIA+ business owners across the nation.

2024 Chicagoland Grant Finalist Announcement

The fund provided $100,000 in grant funds + a scholarship to the Founders First CDC Business Accelerator Program to 25 Illinois businesses

2024 Center For Economic Inclusion Vanguard Accelerator Launch

$750,000 for Latina and Black Women-Owned Businesses in Twin Cities by Center for Economic Inclusion & Founders First CDC.

2023 Southern California Grant Finalist Announcement

The fund provided $100,000 in grant funds + a scholarship to the Founders First CDC Business Accelerator Program to 25 SoCal businesses

2023 Stephen L. Tadlock Veteran Grant Finalist Announcement

The fund is supporting 25 Veteran led businesses throughout the nation with unrestricted grants.

Founders First CDC Launches the $100,000 Southern California Job Creators Grant

Founders First CDC Launches 2023 Southern California Job Creators Grant to Empower Underrepresented Entrepreneurs in Southern California. A total of $100,000 is to be awarded to 25 business owners across the SoCal region.

National Non-Profit Continues Support In Texas To Diverse-Led Businesses

Founders First CDC Launches 2023 Texas Job Creators Quest Grant to Empower Underrepresented Entrepreneurs in Texas. A total of $100,000 to be awarded to 25 business owners across the state of Texas.

Founders First CDC is Proud to Announce the Recipients of its Inaugural 2023 National Pride Fund for LGBTQIA+-Owned Businesses

The fund is supporting 25 LGBTQIA+-led businesses throughout the nation with unrestricted grants.

Vanguard Accelerator Awards More than $400,000 to support Black, Indigenous, and Latina-Owned Businesses in the Twin Cities

Center for Economic Inclusion, Founders First CDC, and NEOO Partners have selected grants, program scholarships, forgivable loans, and redevelopment support finalists.

Founders First CDC Launches the 2023 $100,000 PA/NJ Job Creators Quest Grant

Founders First CDC to award a total of $100,000 to Pennsylvania and New Jersey businesses

Founders First CDC, Awards $25,000 To Businesses Led By Mothers In Honor of Mother's Day

More than 2,700 businesses applied for the grant and 25 recipients were selected, with women business owners receiving $1,000 each in cash. The grant recipients were selected from throughout country.

2023 Center For Economic Inclusion Vanguard Accelerator Announcement

Vanguard Accelerator to award more than $400,000 in support to Black, Indigenous, and Latina Women-Owned Businesses in the Twin Cities

2023 Chicago Grant Finalist Announcement

Annual Chicago Job Creators Quest 25 grant finalists have been selected from a pool of over 1300 Illinois based businesses.

National Non-Profit, Founders First CDC, Opens Applications For The 2023 Kitty Fund Grant For "Mompreneurs"

Founders First CDC to Award $25,000 to Mother-Led Businesses Across the Country

Twin Cities Accelerator Awards Over $450,000 in Investments, Forgivable Loans, and Grants for Black, Indigenous, and Latina-Owned Businesses

Announced today are the finalists of the inaugural Vanguard Accelerator grants, forgivable loans, and site redevelopment.

Founders First to Award $100,000 in Grants to Support Illinois Businesses.

Founders First CDC announced the third wave of its Chicago Job Creators Quest Grant to support minority and underrepresented business owners throughout the state of Illinois.

San Diego Business Journal Covers 2022 SoCal Grant Finalist Announcement

More than 1,500 Southern California businesses applied for the grants and 30 recipients were selected.

Inaugural Pride Grant Launching May 2023

Founders First CDC is pleased to Announce the expansion of its National Grant program to include LGBTQIA+ founded and owned businesses.

Founders First with the Center for Economic Inclusion to Support Twin Cities

Launch of new accelerator to service Black, Indigenous, and Latina Business owners in the Twin Cities.

2022 SoCal Grantees Announced for $100,000 Fund

Annual SoCal Job Creators Quest grant finalists have been selected from a pool of over 1500 Southern California-based businesses.

2022 Stephen L. Tadlock Veteran Finalists

Founders First CDC, Announces Veteran Small Business Owners Recipients of 2022 Stephen L. Tadlock "Vetpreneurs" Grant

Conversations: Call For Change Interview - NBC 5 News

North Texas Recipients Get Founders First Job Creators Grant That Empowers Diverse Businesses. NBC 5’s Vince Sims talks to a grant recipient and has more on how to get a grant in today’s Conversations: A Call for Change.

Founders First Veteran Grant Opportunity - Yahoo Finance

The $25,000 grant will be awarded to 25 veteran recipients who will receive $1,000 each, which will help aid in their employer-based small businesses.

Fifty (50) Small Businesses Owned by Mothers Awarded Micro-Grant in Honor of Mother's Day

Founders First CDC Announces 2022 Kitty Fund Grant Recipients for Mom-Preneurs.

Grant Launched for Vet-preneurs - PRNewswire

The Stephen L. Tadlock fund was created in memory of Kim Folsom's brother who was a U.S Navy veteran.

2022 Texas Job Creators Grant

The Founders First CDC Job Creators Grant is committed to job creation and education. Take a look at this article from Dallas Innovates.

Stephen L. Tadlock Fund

Founders First CDC Announces Micro Investments for Veteran Entrepreneurs

Texas Job Creators Grant

Founders First CDC to invest in Texas businesses amid the global COVID-19 pandemic

NJ, PA Recipients of Job Creators Quest Grant

$60,000 in cash grants have been awarded to local diverse-led small businesses to promote the creation of premium wage jobs in underserved communities.

Founders First CDC Announces Winners of Expanded Chicago Job Creators Quest Grant

30 new grants reward business growth in underserved communities in the Chicago area.

National Non-Profit Founders First CDC Expands Program for Chicagoland Businesses

New Round of $100,000 Funding Coming to Minority Businesses In Illinois to Create Jobs in Underserved Communities

Black SD Magazine

Kim Folsom: An AutoBiography. Helping underserved founders grow mid-market businesses and expand premium jobs

Black Enterprise Magazine

Founders First CDC Launches $60,000 Job Creators Quest Grant Program

Philadelphia/New Jersey Grant Announcement

National non profit steps up in Philly & NJ to support minority businesses in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic

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Founders First Capital Partners - Zero Gap Fund

The Rockefeller Foundation Zero Gap Fund (ZGF) portfolio, Founders First is addressing minority access to capital.

San Diego Union Tribune:

Business accelerator aims to help Black entrepreneurs succeed during pandemic

African American Grants:

11 Current Lists of Business Grants for Black Women Business Owners and Entrepreneurs in 2020/2021

SD Magazine:

Founders First CDC and Pacific Western Bank launch an accelerator for Black-owned businesses

Fresh Brewed Tech:

7-Time Entrepreneur Kim Folsom Supports Diverse Founders with Founders First Capital Partners

NBC San Diego:

Local Entrepreneurs Pay It Forward, Help Black-Owned Small Businesses Thrive

Savoy:

Founders First Capital Partners, Led by Kim Folsom, Expands to Chicago

Chicago Inno:

New fund to invest millions in Chicago’s underrepresented founders

Forbes:

Black Entrepreneur’s Guide to the Rest of 2020

Chicago Biz Journal:

Corporations are Rushing to Help Minority-Owned Businesses

San Diego Business Journal:

Grant Program Launches

Impact Alpha:

Q&A with Founders First’s Kim Folsom: Helping diverse founders with revenue-based financing

Inc Magazine:

The Essential Funding Guide for Entrepreneurs of Color

CBS News:

San Diego social investor is a modern day Harriet Tubman

KUSI News:

The 155th anniversary of Juneteenth the end of slavery in the United States

Buyouts Insider:

Founders First Capital Partners Unveils $100 Million Program For Diverse-Led Businesses

NBC News:

Corporations pledge millions for Black-owned businesses. But are they missing the point?

US Chamber of Commerce:

9 Funding Options for Minority-Owned Businesses

Impact Alpha:

Diverse Fund Managers

San Diego Business Journal:

$100M Fund Aids Diverse Entrepreneurs

OSide News:

Founders First Capital Partners Announces Racial and Social Economic Equality …

Times of San Diego:

Local Roundup

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Founders First in the news.

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Founders First Accelerator and Funding Programs Lead 7 Diverse-Led Businesses to Inc. 5000 List of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies

County of San Diego and Founders First Launch Business Pilot Programs

2024 Stephen L. Tadlock Veteran Grant Finalist Announcement

2024 Pride Fund Grant Finalist Announcement

2024 Kitty Fund Grant Finalist Announcement

2024 Pride Fund Launch Announcement

2024 Kitty Fund Grant Finalist Announcement

2024 Pride Fund Launch Announcement

2024 Chicagoland Grant Finalist Announcement

2024 Center For Economic Inclusion Vanguard Accelerator Launch

2023 Southern California Grant Finalist Announcement

2023 Stephen L. Tadlock Veteran Grant Finalist Announcement

Founders First CDC Launches the $100,000 Southern California Job Creators Grant

National Non-Profit Continues Support In Texas To Diverse-Led Businesses

Founders First CDC is Proud to Announce the Recipients of its Inaugural 2023 National Pride Fund for LGBTQIA+-Owned Businesses

Vanguard Accelerator Awards More than $400,000 to support Black, Indigenous, and Latina-Owned Businesses in the Twin Cities​

Founders First CDC Launches the 2023 $100,000 PA/NJ Job Creators Quest Grant

Founders First CDC, Awards $25,000 To Businesses Led By Mothers In Honor of Mother's Day

2023 Center For Economic Inclusion Vanguard Accelerator Announcement

2023 Chicago Grant Finalist Announcement

National Non-Profit, Founders First CDC, Opens Applications For The 2023 Kitty Fund Grant For "Mompreneurs"

Twin Cities Accelerator Awards Over $450,000 in Investments, Forgivable Loans, and Grants for Black, Indigenous, and Latina-Owned Businesses

Founders First to Award $100,000 in Grants to Support Illinois Businesses.

San Diego Business Journal Covers 2022 SoCal Grant Finalist Announcement

Inaugural Pride Grant Launching May 2023

Founders First with the Center for Economic Inclusion to Support Twin Cities

2022 SoCal Grantees Announced for $100,000 Fund

2022 Stephen L. Tadlock Veteran Finalists

Conversations: Call For Change Interview - NBC 5 News

Founders First Veteran Grant Opportunity - Yahoo Finance

Fifty (50) Small Businesses Owned by Mothers Awarded Micro-Grant in Honor of Mother's Day

Grant Launched for Vet-preneurs - PRNewswire

2022 Texas Job Creators Grant

Stephen L. Tadlock Fund

Texas Job Creators Grant

NJ, PA Recipients of Job Creators Quest Grant

Founders First CDC Announces Winners of Expanded Chicago Job Creators Quest Grant

National Non-Profit Founders First CDC Expands Program for Chicagoland Businesses

Black SD Magazine

Black Enterprise Magazine

Philadelphia/New Jersey Grant Announcement

Founders First Capital Partners - Zero Gap Fund

San Diego Union Tribune:

African American Grants:

SD Magazine:

Fresh Brewed Tech:

NBC San Diego:

Savoy:

Chicago Inno:

Forbes:

Chicago Biz Journal:

San Diego Business Journal:

Impact Alpha:

Inc Magazine:

CBS News:

KUSI News:

Buyouts Insider:

NBC News:

US Chamber of Commerce:

Impact Alpha:

San Diego Business Journal:

OSide News:

Times of San Diego:

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Vanguard Accelerator Awards More than $400,000 to support Black, Indigenous, and Latina-Owned Businesses in the Twin Cities