She Believed She Could Foundation grows grant plan to $114,000 for six women leaders

She Believed She Could Foundation expanded its first ICONIC IMPACT grant initiative from two $10,000 awards to more than $114,000 in combined grants and services for six women entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders. The program drew 658 applications from 48 states, U.S. territories and 14 countries, underscoring demand for funding, mentorship and visibility.

Why it matters: - The expanded grant pool turned a planned two-recipient award into broader support for six women leading businesses and nonprofits. - Each recipient gets more than cash. The packages include strategy, media, speaker training and executive presence support that can help sustain growth beyond the event. - The initiative shows how community-backed funding can multiply a small seed commitment into a much larger investment in women’s leadership.

What happened: - The She Believed She Could™ Foundation expanded its inaugural ICONIC IMPACT Grant Initiative from an original $20,000 commitment to more than $114,000 in combined financial awards and in-kind professional services. - The initiative supported six women entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders instead of the two recipients originally planned. - The recipients were recognized during ICONIC IMPACT, a two-day leadership, entrepreneurship and personal growth event held Nov. 5-6 in Winter Park and Orlando, Florida. - ICONIC IMPACT was co-produced by She Believed She Could™ and Hi Hello Labs.

The details: - The grant initiative received 658 applications from 48 states and U.S. territories and 14 countries. - Applicants reflected demand for financial resources, mentorship, business development and visibility. - The foundation moved through multiple rounds of evaluation and interviews before selecting three finalists in each category. - Rather than naming one winner per category, the foundation expanded support to all six finalists. - 2026 Emerging Founder recipients were Angilee Wilkerson of Tougles in Denton, Texas; Velma Funebe of iBraid in Bowie, Maryland; and Cagla Giray of Su + Soul in Washington, D.C. - 2026 Impact Leader recipients were Summer Willis of The Summer Willis Foundation in Houston, Texas; Ginny Botts of Support Our Scholars in Orlando, Florida; and Bianca Isom of Bianca Modo Foundation in Atlanta, Georgia. - Each recipient receives a grant package valued at more than $19,000. - The package combines financial support with business strategy, professional media production, speaker training and executive presence development. - Allison Walsh Consulting and SBSC Media are providing private brand and business strategy intensives valued at $7,500 per recipient, for a total value of $45,000. - Hi Hello Labs is providing professional media packages valued at more than $4,000 per recipient. - Afreen Huq of HERD is providing professional speaker training to strengthen communication and presentation skills. - Leslie Christin of Studio CARA is providing the Looks to Lead executive presence and professional image program. - The ICONIC IMPACT experience also received support from FiftyFlowers, Farm Nine, Walsh Banks Law, Rae Nicole Events, Gala Rental, Studio CARA, Serotonin Centers, Entreprenista and Hi Hello Labs.

Between the lines: - The shift from two awards to six suggests the organizers found enough partner support to distribute resources more widely without reducing the value of the program. - The structure of the packages signals a focus on practical business infrastructure, not just recognition. - Walsh framed the expansion as community-driven impact, while Hi Hello Labs positioned the event as a platform for amplifying women’s voices and work.

What's next: - The foundation plans to expand partnerships and create additional opportunities for women entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders. - Walsh said the organization intends to build on this year’s momentum and continue growing the initiative.

The bottom line: - A $20,000 grant concept became a six-recipient program worth more than $114,000, showing how a small initial commitment can scale when donors and partners align around a shared mission.