Dove Chocolate reruns its $10k InstaGrants for women entrepreneurs

Dove-Chocolate-reruns-its-10k-InstaGrants-for-women-entrepreneurs.jpg
Pic: Mars Wrigley

Mars-owned Dove Chocolate is continuing its commitment to supporting female entrepreneurs and small businesses in the US by launching its second year of DOVE InstaGrants.

Designed to uplift, celebrate and empower women entrepreneurs, the programme offers the chance to win one of three $10,000 grants.

"With the great success of last year's programme, we wanted to inspire moments of everyday happiness again by relaunching DOVE InstaGrants and offer even more women a chance to live out their business and entrepreneurial dreams," said Michelle Deignan, Senior Director at Mars Wrigley.

"According to researchers from Columbia Business School and London Business School, 63% of women entrepreneurs are less likely to receive funding than men, regardless of their background and ideas, so there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure women are given the financial confidence they need to excel."

This year's programme provides women across the US an opportunity to pitch a new business idea or established small business concept for a chance to win a $10,000 grant and additional support to come in 2023.

To be eligible, women entrepreneurs should share a :30 second business pitch via Instagram with the hashtags #DOVEInstaGrantsEntry and tag @DoveChocolate, or upload their video on DoveChocolateInstaGrants.com, from today until 11:59 p.m. ET, 19 December.

Last year's winners included Lehia Apana from Polipoli Farms, a native-run farm using indigenous and modern growing practices in regenerative agroforests; Brittany Rhodes of Black Girl Mathgic, a subscription box designed to increase math confidence and decrease math anxiety in girls; and Shreya Nuli of Mobile Memory, a cost-effective screening tool that utilises AI/ML to detect early signs of Alzheimer's from vocal biomarkers.