Taking a business from an idea to a successful launch isn't easy. As a young company, we know that there are countless hurdles to overcome when starting a new venture. We also know that without access to capital, connections and guidance it can be even more challenging for Black entrepreneurs. At Parachute, we are committed to taking action towards anti-racism – and to make meaningful, lasting change. In June of 2020, we outlined our next steps to better stand with the BIPOC community, and we've further expanded on those commitments since.
In 2020, we launched the Home for Dreams Initiative, a grant and mentorship program for product-centric, Black-owned businesses. We spent the first half of 2021 working with Taylor Long the Founder and CEO of Nomads Swimwear – a size-inclusive, destination-inspired swimwear brand. As Taylor launched her new collections and continued to build important and strategic partnerships, we provided access to our own internal and external network in the world of finance and fundraising from connections we’ve made as we grew Parachute over the years. We also hosted Nomads Swimwear’s first pop-up shop in our Scottsdale store.
In 2022, our second grant recipient was announced: Evonna Kuehner, the Founder and CEO of ANOVÉ. ANOVÉ is a clean beauty company that creates inclusive, plant-based skincare products for all skin tones and types. Over the past six months we’ve had the pleasure of working closely with Evonna, diving deep into her passion for clean beauty and packaging, as well as her approach to product development and ingredient selection – we even hosted a pop-up at five Parachute stores across the country, all while she moved ANOVÉ into a new, larger warehouse space.
In 2023, our third grant recipient joined the Parachute family. Founder and CEO, Erica A., brought us deeper into the world of wellness with blended, a lifestyle brand that makes self care easy and accessible for everyone. During her time with Parachute, Erica got all the details on creative, marketing and press and completed a pop-up tour of Parachute’s east coast stores where her matcha was a major hit with customers!
Applications for the next round of Home for Dreams are now open and we’re excited to continue working with so many amazing entrepreneurs!
Our Initiative
We've learned a lot since first launching in 2014! From fundraising, to marketing, to finance, to building a team, we have a lot of knowledge to share. Our mentorship program offers invaluable insights as well as lifelong connections as we help to launch new brands.
The Home for Dreams Initiative is a six-month program that includes mentorship from our Founder, Ariel Kaye, access to the entire Parachute team, amplification of the venture across our marketing channels, and a $25,000 grant.