First Southwest Community Fund Announces Grant Funding to Five San Luis Valley Entrepreneurs
First Southwest Community Fund (FSWCF), a 501c3 non-profit that provides inclusive and equitable access to capital for rural Colorado entrepreneurs, nonprofits and small business owners, recently announced the winners of five grants. The general operating grants were awarded to five women-owned businesses in the San Luis Valley through FSWCF’s Rural Women-Led Business Fund.
To be eligible to apply for a grant each business owner was required to attend four small business workshops hosted by the Rural Women-Led Business Fund. Workshop topics included: business plan writing, pricing, estimates, transforming an idea, budgeting, and the best way to work from home.
The Rural Women-Led Business Fund is designed to give access to funding and education for women entrepreneurs and small businesses in rural Colorado through loans, education, and technical assistance. The Fund offers loans of $10,000-$75,000 and focuses on providing accessible capital to women, especially women of color in the San Luis Valley.
The grant recipients and their businesses are:
- Jozette Sandoval, The Market at Blanca, located in Blanca
- Ami Hooper, Dandelion Creative, located in Villa Grove
- Breanna Ortiz, All Bre’s Cakes, located in LaJara
- Tiffany Vigil, Elevation Farm and Orchard LLC, located in Alamosa
- Ramonsa Russo, Guapo Burgers, located in Alamosa
By receiving this the award from the Rural Women-Led Business Fund we are able to purchase equipment that will take us one step further in our products. We will also be investing in more sustainable packaging and products that we can sell at local events. In addition, we are starting to acquire equipment for the shop we hope to open within the next year. Because of the Rural Women-Led Business Fund we are able to expand in ways we never thought possible and offer the San Luis valley nothing but the finest baked goods that are almost too pretty to eat.
-Breanna Ortiz, Owner and Executive Pastry Chef, All Bre’s Cakes
For any questions regarding the Rural Women-Led Fund, please reach out to our Program Director, Azarel Madrigal, at azarelmc@fswcf.org. Azarel is bilingual and is happy to meet in English or Spanish!