Diana and Nicole are new entrepreneurs who have dreams of growing their small businesses. Diana has an online blog onto which she hopes to add a store. Nicole’s business has a line of body care products specifically designed for people of color living with discoloration. Both women are clients of the Fresh Start Women’s Foundation. Recently, they seized the opportunity to participate in DreamBuilder’s pitch contest, making them one step closer to making their dreams a reality.

Their journey began when they enrolled and later graduated from Fresh Start’s DreamBuilder program. With support from the Maximus Foundation, this online training certification program teaches women the basics of creating and growing a business for free. 86 percent of program participants report that they are in the process of starting a business two years after program completion.

Furthermore, the DreamBuilder’s pitch contest gives their graduates a chance to win a cash prize for their business ideas. Diana and Nicole worked hard to make sure their pitches stood out against DreamBuilder’s graduates from Arizona, Texas, Colorado, and New Mexico. It paid off! They both placed within the top five business pitches across all four states and won $500.

Since then, they have continued their path of entrepreneurship with the support of their Florine F. Jackson Scholarship. Fresh Start’s partnership with Paradise Valley Community College made it possible for Diana and Nicole to enroll in the Small Business Start-up Certificate program, which is made exclusively for scholarship recipients like them.

Fresh Start Women’s Foundation continues to equip women like Diana and Nicole with the tools and resources they need to positively transform their lives and strengthen our Arizonian community. Since launching services virtually due to the pandemic, they have been able to connect with more women than ever before. In fact, their resource coaching increased to over 700% as a direct result of virtual intakes. Fresh Start provides services to domestic violence survivors, women making low-moderate income, and a community of veterans.

Learn how you can get involved with the Fresh Start Women’s Foundation by visiting freshstartwomen.org.