At Indiegogo, we know that being an entrepreneur is a challenging journey, filled with many obstacles and uncertainties. Unfortunately, the journey is even tougher for women entrepreneurs, who face additional barriers and biases. Despite their accomplishments and innovative ideas, women entrepreneurs are less likely to receive funding compared to their male counterparts, resulting in a significant financial gap and limiting their potential for success.
That’s why we’re proud to collaborate with our friends at DOVE® Chocolate, who are fulfilling their promise to empower women-led businesses. With their InstaGrants program, DOVE® Chocolate is providing a select group of women-led businesses with grant funding, promotional support, and resources to bring their business ideas to life and take them to the next level.
We’re excited to share the winners of DOVE® Chocolate’s InstaGrants and amplify the launch of their Indiegogo crowdfunding campaigns. By supporting their crowdfunding campaigns, you’re taking a step towards closing the funding gap and creating a more inclusive future for women entrepreneurs everywhere.
Read on to learn more about these inspiring entrepreneurs, their business ideas, the impact they’re making in their communities, and how you can support them through their crowdfunding campaigns. Plus, get inspired as they share their own advice for fellow women entrepreneurs.
KIERA GARDNER
Durham, NC
BLEND OF SOUL is a cold-pressed juice company that encourages healthier lifestyles with all natural, locally sourced ingredients and sustainable products. Their Indiegogo campaign is unique because not only do they use fresh, plant-based ingredients when curating their products, but their ingredients are locally sourced from Black farmers first. Historically, Black farmers have a legacy of inequities, such as discriminatory federal lending practices and lack of access to land. Gardner saw this as an opportunity to support local Black farmers and also pour back into their community.
“Our biggest advice to women who want to start their own business is the importance of building a community. Creating a truly authentic brand and telling a story really captures your audience beyond your products. Your community doesn’t want to be “sold to”. Let your brand speak for itself. What are you passionate about? What changes would you like to see in your community? Who are you beyond the brand?”
Support her campaign here.
ISABEL LAST
Albuquerque, NM
FAENA is a Spanish language learning video game that takes users to actual language fluency by playing in one immersive video game world. They are building the future of language learning and they want you to be part of it! For those learning how to speak Spanish, imagine no more grammar lessons, no more conjugation tables, no more not knowing how to actually speak despite years of learning Spanish.
“Make sure that the only thing holding you back are your needs not being met or not being able to put food on the table for people that rely on you. Ignore any other reasons.”
Support her campaign here.
BRITTANY RHODES
Detroit, MI
Black Girl MATHgic Box is an award-winning subscription box to help kids learn and love math. Together with workshops and experiences, the box aims to help kids, especially young girls and Black children, increase their math confidence, decrease their math anxiety, give them the skills and confidence they need to succeed in class today and society tomorrow.
“My biggest piece of advice for women who want to start their own business is, simply, to: START! It’s very easy to want to check a box (or several boxes) before starting your business. Maybe you want to wait until your child starts a new grade, or you move to that new city, or you’re caught up in the research phase of starting a business because you’re afraid to take the leap. Things don’t have to be perfect at the beginning. Start where you are, with what you have, and build and grow as you go!”
Support her campaign here.
SHREYA NULI
Boston, MA
Mobile Memory is an app that aims to offer a cost-effective and widely accessible tool to screen for Alzheimer’s using only 30 seconds of your time. No games, no long tests – just a personal journal for you and your eyes only. Nobody should live a lifetime of memories, only to lose them at the end.
“Often, we look for a right “opportunity”…whether that be the right time, place, or situation. However, there is no such thing as a perfect opportune moment, rather you make it. If you feel passionate towards something and have the right intentions, you will find people to network with, you will find yourself bringing it up in almost every conversation, and you will, no matter what, take steps closer to making your idea a reality.”
Support her campaign here.
LEHIA APANA
Maui, HI
POLIPOLI FARMS is a regenerative farm, rooted in Indigenous practices. They make use of ancestral technologies to grow important cultural foods, then turn their harvests into healthy packaged products—a model that leads to healthier people and a healthier planet! Their idea is unique because it’s not simply about offering a product—it’s about offering solutions to our broken food system.
“I’d tell other entrepreneurs to invest in their relationships—it’s something that’s free yet so valuable! This can include mentors, peers, and overall a diverse group of folks from throughout the community. The idea is to focus on how you can add value to someone (versus connecting just to get something in return). In business terms, this is “social capital.” From a Native Hawaiian perspective, however, it’s much deeper than that. I believe my ancestors understood and lived this way, not just because it makes sense, but because it was a means of shared survival.”
Support her campaign here.
JILLIAN ANDERSON
HERide is a female friendly rideshare app made for women by women. They provide peer to peer transportation using only women drivers and pay them 80% of the fare. Their crowdfunding campaign aims to focus on providing features that their customers and drivers actually want to see on their rideshare platform. They will be offering virtual perks to backers.
“Women that want to own their businesses must remember that you are the boss. Don’t shrink yourself down to appease anyone. Make sure you maintain majority ownership in any partnership or deal. Figure out your niche and just get started. Utilize your resources and network with people in the same industry as you. Never be afraid to keep learning new things, use YouTube, Google, and any resource you can to always stay learning.”
Support her campaign here.
Together with DOVE® Chocolate, our Indiegogo community is committed to breaking down these barriers and creating a level playing field for women entrepreneurs. Join us in supporting women-led businesses everywhere, and help build a brighter, more inclusive future for all!
