Buy 1, Give 5

Buy 1, give 5 - Program Overview

We award 5% of all sales to women entrepreneurs both in the U.S. and in emerging economies, with the ambitious goal of supporting 1,000 women entrepreneurs by 2030.

The Buy 1, Give 5 program is our hallmark program that supports women entrepreneurs through the issuance of micro-grants to help start, grow and scale their businesses.

Starting a business can be financially overwhelming. Women, particularly those from underrepresented groups, often encounter even greater hurdles due to systemic economic and income inequalities, which can severely limit their ability to scale and grow. We understand these challenges firsthand, which is why this program is so critical to our mission.

Through Buy 1, Give 5, we aim to empower women entrepreneurs across a range of industries, helping them fund their dreams. 5% of all sales are allocated to this fund and awarded to women entrepreneurs bi-annually with our last funding round awarding $10,000. We launched this program right at the start, so it continues to grow as we do. As of 2024, we’ve awarded 32 grants, so we still have a long way to go from our goal of 1,000.

You can feel great knowing that not only are you purchasing a quality product, you’re also helping potentially close the opportunity gap for underrepresented women entrepreneurs.

Inquiring about applying for a grant? We award grants twice a year, and announcements for application windows will be made via our social media and mailing list. Keep an eye out for updates, no need to reach out!

Here’s how it works:

A full 5% of net sales (excluding tax, shipping, and processing fees) will be allocated to the fund. For example, if an item's net sales is $200, $10 will be contributed to the fund.

Each quarter, the Buy 1, Give 5 fund will be divided as follows:

50% will support female entrepreneurs in the USA through the Silver & Riley Women Entrepreneurship Grant. Grant amounts will increase with sales.
The remaining 50% will be granted to a partner organization promoting female entrepreneurship in developing economies.

By investing in women, the pillars of our communities, we help build a better world together.

WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP GRANT WINNERS

New York, NY // Please join us in congratulating our the newest winners of our Women Entrepreneurship Grants. These dynamic women earned a monetary grant to aid the growth of their businesses and were chosen based on their drive, passion, commitment and the impact they make on others. Each grant applicant was also asked which of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals they most strongly align to and why.

CherRaye Glenn-Flowers is a native of Reading, PA and holds a BBA in Marketing from Temple University and a MA in Communication Tech from Point Park University. CherRaye has held positions in business development, sales, consumer insights and data analytics. After she found it difficult to find a hairstylist on work trips who could work with her natural afro-textured hair---a common complaint in the Black & Brown community— she saw an opportunity to act, as well as to help alleviate pain points Black & Brown hairstylists and barbers experience. Thus, Brownce was created to connect, inspire and empower the Black & Brown beauty community.

Lyndsay Levingston is a multimedia personality, consultant, and SurviveHER™. She is a segment producer for the Black News Channel. Prior, she worked as an anchor/reporter and host for various news outlets in New York City, Houston and Tulsa. The Houston native graduated with honors from the University of North Texas. In 2019, Lyndsay was diagnosed with Stage 2B triple-negative breast cancer. She celebrates her cancer-free status as the founder of SurviveHER™, a breast cancer awareness and wellness nonprofit whose mission is to inform, inspire and empower women.

Sumayah Ansari is a Brooklyn born and raised Muslim woman who is the second youngest of 8 children and a proud mother of a 2-year old daughter. In 2019, she started A.SumayahShop, a modest wear brand with the goal of helping women find their sense of fashion while remaining true to their modesty.

WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP GRANT WINNERS

Diamond Blathers is the the founder of Faith Based Journal Company, a stationary company that creates items that seeks to inspire others to journal and express themselves while spreading a message of the importance of faith. Diamond was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia and attended James Madison University where she studied Sociology and Human Resources. Of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, she is most passionate about Ending Poverty.

Headwraps & Liipsticks: the Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by HBCU alumni and friends, Sharelle B. & Sierra T. The Podcast, covers topics including politics, trending topics, pop culture and more. First meeting as two JOMC students at NC A&T State University, Sharelle and Sierra formed a bond via Twitter, noticing similar "retweets" and topics of discussion. Both making waves in Charlotte, NC also known as the Queen City, the two decided to discuss the topics that need more than 140 characters! Of the 17 UN Goals, they are most passionate about Quality Education.

Dajanaé Cole is the founder and creative director of Gratitude Aesthetics, a clothing line designed to celebrate gratitude inspired by her late mother Pamela Jean. She is passionate about fashion and empowering; this line is a merging of her passions with a timeless and simple message, gratitude. Gratitude is always going to be aesthetically pleasing. Of the 17 UN Goals, she is most passionate about Gender Equality and Climate Action.

MENTORSHIP GRANT WINNERS

New York, NY // We partnered with women entrepreneurial activist & mentor Meagan Ward for this opportunity to award 4 women entrepreneurs with a mentorship grant. The winners will receive a 3-month long tailored mentorship opportunity with Meagan Ward. Meagan teaches highly motivated and engaged entrepreneurial women who are focused on mindset mastery, scaling their businesses to 6 or 7 figures and creating a purposeful legacy.

Carina Glover is the founder of HerHeadquarters, an app connecting women entrepreneurs to brand partnerships with women-owned businesses. Since launching in May 2019, Carina has caught the attention of Congress and press like Harper’s Bazaar, Thrive Global, Business Insider, and more. Carina is a native of Omaha and recently became one of the first African Americans in her state to raise venture capital. Her vision is to start a VC fund that exclusively invests in women and minority-owned companies.

Bianca Barrera is the founder of Interpreting Without Borders, a language service initiative dedicated to promoting multilingualism. She leverages her 10 years of experience as a Spanish translator and interpreter to bring people together across cultures. She has done amazing work including assisting refugees fleeing terrorism in applying for asylum, helping families decide end of life care for their loved ones, and teaching literacy skills to kindergarteners in underrepresented communities.

Yewande Masi claims space as a regal solutionist, dot connector and womanist charged valiantly toward toxin-free living. Merging her esteemed worlds of corporate sales and entrepreneurship, Yewande operates from a limitless mindset and action as owner of Ornami Skincare, “Where self-care meets skincare.” Yewande aims to create pathways that encourage free thinking and spirited manifestation.

Jasmin Williams is the founder and Creative Director of Melanation, a digital media company and online community with the mission of transforming and cultivating a positive media landscape for black women. A Houston native and UT Alum, Jasmin is passionate about and committed to making an impact in her community. Melanation, has provided an open, safe space and resource for young black women to showcase how remarkable they are.

WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP GRANT WINNERS

New York, NY // Silver & Riley continued the commitment to supporting minority owned businesses with the second round of grants awarded through their Buy 1, Give 5 program. This round focused on businesses started less than two years ago by black women founders. This specific focus was chosen due to the difficulty this group has in securing other grant funds as most grant programs stipulate that businesses must be over two years old to qualify. Over 200 applicants vied for the cash awards and founders Nana Meriwether, Ornella Yovo, and Toyin Olaleye proved to be the strongest applicants, chosen based on their passion, business model, scalability and impact. To date, seven female Founders have been awarded Silver & Riley Buy 1, Give 5 grants.

Read the rest of the press release here.

WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP GRANT WINNERS

New York, NY / Newsmaker Alert / Nearly 150 applicants vied for a SILVER & RILEY grant. Applications were narrowed down to five applicants by nine judges which included the Silver & Riley team and advisors. The five finalists were then interviewed via phone, after which three winners were chosen. Two $1,000 grant winners and an additional $500 grant was awarded thanks to additional grant funding received.

Read the rest of the press release here.