Famous Amos Gives 3 Black Entrepreneurs $150K

Famous Amos honors founder Wally Amos by announcing the winners of the 2024 Ingredients for Success Entrepreneurs Initiative (IFS).

The annual event is happening for the fourth yr in a row. program offers $150,000 in funding and ongoing support to a select group of talented early-stage Black entrepreneurs. The program pays tribute to the late Wally Amos, who rose to fame within the Nineteen Seventies with the launch of Famous Amos cookies.

The announcement of this yr’s Ingredients for Success Grand Prize winners comes a month after Amos’ death on the age of 88. Ten finalists were chosen from greater than 2,800 applicants, with the highest three winners taking home the award. This yr’s winners are:

• Adrienne Gadling, Owner and Founder 10 City Spa – a full-service beauty salon in Stone Mountain, Georgia offering top-notch service and VIP treatment.
• Corry Banks, Founder Modular ModBap – a black-owned electronic music equipment company operating worldwide.
• Elizabeth Rene, Founder PO’UP! card game – a nostalgic party game that celebrates the excellence of black people through the prism of the experiences of black college students.

This yr’s program winners were chosen for his or her expertise, potential, and the general viability of their business models. Much just like the inspiration Amos provided to budding entrepreneurs of his day, the capital given to the winners embodies the ambitious, independent spirit that the founder championed.

(*3*) said Rachna Patel, Vice President of Marketing at Famous Amos. “The Ingredients for Success program has awarded $600,000 to a dozen Black-owned businesses across the country to date, and we look forward to all of their future accomplishments.”

IFS honorees receive $50,000 and an exclusive membership within the US Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC) to assist grow their businesses. This award reflects the early support Wally Amos received in starting his snack company. USBC mentorship, education, and resources are key components of the Ingredients for Success program, helping to deal with the challenges that cause one in five small businesses within the US to shut inside their first yr.

While only three finalists win the grand prize, all participants join the Ingredients for Success Alumni Network, getting access to a wealth of business resources, training, and engagement opportunities that reach beyond this system’s lively cycle. Last yr’s winners included Emir Horton’s Eartha Watch Company, Steffanie Rivers’ TCB Drones, and London Jackson’s The Language Arc. All have successfully scaled their operations, with Horton’s company specifically launching a brand new collection that has reached six figures.

“We’ve seen the incredible accomplishments of our alumni network over the years,” said show judge Steve Canal. “We’re excited to see what Ingredients for Success graduates will achieve next.”