Persist Nashville aspires to unify the community to double Nashville's college graduation rate by empowering students throughout their college experience. This includes text-based and in-person coaching with trained professionals and fostering community with student-led on-campus study groups and events. The $50,000 SuperGrant will cover the salary costs and work equipment for a new coach who will be brought on to grow the organization's outreach by helping more students navigate enrollment and persistence in college.

"A college education can be life-changing, yet there are so many barriers that can prevent young people from earning their degree," SmileDirectClub Chief Marketing Officer John Sheldon said. "As a company founded to remove barriers and transform lives, SmileDirectClub is proud to present this SuperGrant to such a deserving organization that is helping Nashville students earn their degree and achieve their fullest potential."

YAIPak provides mobile outreach across many communities to support individuals in need. The team provides access to clothing, hygiene and comfort items for children entering foster care, supplies new household items for veterans moving from homelessness to housing, offers necessities to low-income families and the homeless and provides disaster relief supplies to communities impacted by natural disasters. Since launching in 2016, YAIPak meets those under-resourced through acts of kindness, with the hopes of reaching the world by making an impact. The $35,500 SuperGrant will cover the cost of a new forklift to increase storage capacity and manage supplies.

"At SmileDirectClub, we understand that access to care is life changing, yet out of reach for many," SmileDirectClub Chief Marketing Officer John Sheldon said. "We are proud to support the important work that the YAIPak organization is doing to offer direct access to important resources and care to members of our community."

Café Momentum is a nonprofit restaurant and culinary training facility for justice-involved youth, ages 15-19. They offer an eight-week internship program where each participant will earn a ServSafe® certificate that can be leveraged for future job opportunities. They also offer professional catering services and host successful pop-up dinners throughout Nashville. Additionally, Café Momentum has announced plans to open a permanent restaurant in 2024, which will serve as another means to help youth carve out a new path in life. The $54,534 SuperGrant will cover the cost of a branded catering van and supplies to help Café Momentum grow its program and generate additional catering jobs and income for the youth in the program.

"Café Momentum is thrilled to receive the Predators/SmileDirectClub SuperGrant," Café Momentum Executive Director Rokeisha Bryant said. The investment of funds will help us provide more meaningful work experiences for our interns, as we take our catering efforts to the next level, with the purchase of a catering van. Thank you for your generosity and support of our mission. We look forward to continuing to serve the players and Nashville as we build momentum."

The New Beginnings Center opened in 2011 and has since empowered over 3,500 women and teenage girls in the Middle Tennessee community. In 2022, The New Beginnings Center started the Iron Souls program, a holistic health and well-being program for teenage girls. The results of these programs provide improved health trajectories, reversed symptoms of preventable diseases and increased confidence. The $10,000 SuperGrant will be used to support salaries as the need for additional part-time coaches grows.

"We are so grateful to be awarded a SuperGrant during Women's History Month," The New Beginnings Center CEO Tash Weddle said. "It brings a spotlight to the increasing need for services that support the physical and emotional well-being of women and teenage girls. Every day we witness lives being transformed with quality coaching that meets women and girls right where they are. This SuperGrant will help us develop and grow our coaching staff - our key deliverable for generating healthier bodies and minds and creating sustainable change. I am so proud of The New Beginnings and Iron Souls coaches who dedicate themselves to teaching and encouraging healthy lifestyle behaviors, one step at a time."