News

National Association Awards $28K in Growth Grants to Support America’s Record-Shattering Growth in the Small Business Community

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 6, 2023
CONTACT: Kristofer Eisenla, LUNA+EISENLA
kristofer@lunaeisenla.com | 202-670-5747 (mobile)

DALLAS, TX – As our nation’s small business community continues its record-breaking surge with more American’s choosing to open their own small business than ever before, the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE), the nation’s leading advocate and resource for the self-employed and micro-business community, announced today $28,000 in Growth Grants to seven local small businesses for the fourth quarter of 2022.  Today’s announcement also includes three Growth Grant awards sponsored by AARP, and one by DELL Small Business.

“Our nation’s small business community, including self-employed and micro-businesses, are the essential fuel for America’s economic engine.  Over the course of the last few years, the American small business community has experienced a surge of new small businesses opening and expanding.  These new entrepreneurs represent the true spirit of America’s resilience and determination. We are proud to do our part in supporting our community’s  expansion and growth,” said John Hearrell, NASE Vice President of Membership and Affiliate Programs.  “From each side of Main Street to every corner of America, small businesses are delivering unique goods and services to their customers. Since 1989, our mission is built on the cornerstone of supporting these businesses to grow and succeed. With support from AARP and DELL Small Business, it’s an honor to make an investment of $4,000 in each of these Growth Grant recipients, bringing our total grant awards to over $1 million since the program’s inception.”

Last year, NASE awarded $88,000 in total grants to 22 small businesses to support their growth and expansion of business operations while also helping them emerge from the COVID pandemic.  In 2023, the NASE has increased its awards even more.

The recipients of the fourth quarter 2022 NASE Growth Grants are:

• Barro, located in Gresham, OR, owned by NASE member Yoli Rabadan Barragan, was awarded a fourth quarter Growth Grant in 2022. Barro is a Mexican baking company crafting authentic products mixing the best local ingredients with imported specialty spices from Mexico. They also infuse Mexican flavors to classic desserts to create something completely different and familiar all at the same time.

   

• Piedmont Microgreens, located in Durham, NC, owned by NASE member Garret Corwin, was awarded a fourth quarter Growth Grant in 2022. Piedmont Microgreens is an urban farm within biking distance of the Five Points area in downtown Durham. Their mission is to provide beautiful, fresh, and delicious greens without the impact, complexity, or uncertainty of the traditional food system.

   

• KPD Contractors, located in Washington, D.C., owned by NASE member Ksenia Panomarenko, was awarded a fourth quarter Growth Grant in 2022. KPD Contractors is a close-knit team of creative professional engineers, architects, project managers, technicians, and more. The team can handle anything from plumbing, electrical and roofing to foundations, framing, flooring, drywall, and paint.

   

  The following Growth Grants are sponsored by AARP.

• K9 Splash Zone, located in Brookville, OH, owned by NASE member Susan Fife, was awarded a fourth quarter Growth Grant in 2022. K9 Splash Zone is a 14 acre fully fenced facility situation in the Dayton-Cincinnati-Columbus area. It is not only the largest dock diving pool in the area, but also is the only Competition Size Pool in the region. 

   

• Medalist Performance, located in Houston, TX, owned by NASE member Lealem Mulugeta, was awarded a fourth quarter Growth Grant in 2022. Medalist Performance is not just a personal training business. They are dedicated to delivering state of the art physical, physiological, and mental peak performance coaching for active and aspiring athletes, astronauts, tactical personnel, and executives.

   

• The Homesteadista, located in Philadelphia, PA, owned by NASE member Lisa Quattlebaum, was awarded a fourth quarter Growth Grant in 2022. The Homesteadista is the only real-world, woman-centered go-to guide for city living that’s good, good for you, and good to you.

   

  The following Growth Grant is sponsored by DELL Small Business.

• Challenging Dogs, located in Laurel, MD, owned by NASE member Susan Aceti, was awarded a fourth quarter Growth Grant in 2022. Challenging Dogs is a pool of trained dog sitters and walkers who service a variety of areas in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Colombia.

For nearly 20 years, NASE’s focus has been on finding the most effective way to bolster success for small business and self-employed members in communities across the country.  NASE’s Growth Grant Program is intended for businesses planning to take the next step in their venture.  It provides available capital for small businesses and sole proprietors to be able to hire and train additional employees, market their business in new and existing ways or invest in new equipment or software.

Applications are considered on a rolling basis throughout the year and winning small businesses will be awarded $4,000 grants each quarter throughout 2023.  Visit the Growth Grant page for more information.

NASE members also enjoy a comprehensive list of benefits designed to help small business owners and sole proprietors start and grow their business.  A complete listing of benefits available to NASE members is available, here.  NASE members are offered a host of resources designed to help support entrepreneurs and small employers including access to professional “Ask the Experts” services in tax, health care and marketing, a navigational assistant health care portal, scholarships and grants, discounts on shipping rates and office supplies, and affordable email marketing systems and webhosting services. NASE’s newest member benefits continue the tradition of providing real-world, bottom-line assistance to small business owners.  To become a member of NASE, apply online here.

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The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) is the nation's leading advocate and resource for the self-employed and micro-businesses, offering a broad range of benefits to help entrepreneurs succeed and to drive the continued growth of this vital segment of the American economy.

The NASE NextBizThing helps identify and connect our nation’s smallest businesses. Need small business help? Check out NASE’s Ask the Experts for advice or the NASE Minute for small business support.

The NASE is a 501(c) (6) nonprofit organization and provides big-business advantages to hundreds of thousands of micro-businesses across the United States. For more information, visit the association's website at NASE.org