Fan voting is now underway here and runs through March 25. The winner will be solely determined by public votes and the winning company will receive the $25,000 EmpowerHER Grant.
The three finalists are:
Blanket & Board, owned by Tierra Thorne, is an event planning company dedicated to creating safe spaces where people of all backgrounds can feel seen and heard, while uplifting at-risk populations in the community by highlighting local nonprofits and donating a portion of proceeds to programs that support equality and human rights.
Fostering Music, owned by Christy Stitt, is a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of children currently in, or adopted out of, the foster care system, by providing musical instruments and quality music instruction in conjunction with local music stores.
Goudelock and the 3 Bears Publishing, is a small, woman owned, POC-founded press that focuses on books, music, and literature. Goudelock and the 3 Bears supports authors and creators from diverse backgrounds to tell their stories. They advocate for literacy equity and to share the joy of art and literature.
Finalists were decided based on an evaluation of the importance and impact of the business within their local community, the current status and health of the business and how this grant would make a difference, as well as the number of nominations received.
More than 600 essay-style entries were received with over 300 unique local woman-owned business nominated from the following eligible counties: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington and Westmoreland.
Fans may learn more about each finalist by visiting here and vote for who they believe to be the most deserving. Individuals can vote once per day through March 25.
