Foundation Grants $125k to Support Female Founders

- The Boundless Futures Foundation was established in September 2023 by Soon and McKeel Hagerty. Since its inception, the foundation has given more than $1 million in "EmpowHer" and "Her Village" grants to 46 female founders and six nonprofits. - The "Her Village" grant is awarded annually to a nonprofit organization that supports female entrepreneurs with resources, access to capital, and educational opportunities. Past recipients of the "Her Village" grant include Kiva, an organization that facilitates crowdfunded loans to underserved communities, and the Center for Women and Enterprise. - Ladies Who Launch was founded as a grassroots movement in 2013 and became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2019. The organization provides women and non-binary small business owners with free resources, mentorship, grants, and networking opportunities. - One of the key initiatives of Ladies Who Launch is the "Launch Program," which provides a $10,000 grant, a six-month educational program, and mentorship to women and non-binary small business owners. - The grant to Ladies Who Launch comes at a time when there is a significant funding gap for female entrepreneurs. In 2024, companies founded solely by women received only 1% of the total capital invested in US venture-backed startups, a decrease from 2% in 2023. - Despite the funding disparity, female-led companies have demonstrated strong performance. In 2024, female-founded companies accounted for 24% of all US venture capital exits, nearly doubling their share from 13% in 2014.