Kimberly McGlonn won $25,000 for her sustainable apparel company Grant Blvd in a small business competition hosted by Inc. and UPS for its social mission. Grant Blvd uses upcycled materials and relies on formerly incarcerated workers recruited from halfway houses and prisons to sew garments, helping them overcome employment barriers. McGlonn was inspired to address mass incarceration after viewing a documentary and launched Grant Blvd in 2017. Since then, she has won additional funds from Beyoncé's organization to invest in equipment and staff. She advocates telling a company's story to attract like-minded supporters.

1. Meet the Philadelphia Sustainable
Fashion Maker That Recruits From
Halfway Houses and Prisons
Kimberly McGlonn knows the power of a good story.
In July, the education PhD and English teacher-turned-entrepreneur won first
prize in the Small Biz Challenge, hosted by Inc. and the UPS Store. In doing so,
she secured $25,000 for her company, Grant Blvd, a Philadelphia-based
sustainable apparel startup that makes and sells upcycled clothing and
accessories. And what set her apart in the competition was universal--deft
improvisational skills and fluency with her business and its mission.
"It's about owning your 'why' and using your business to align with your life
and your sense of purpose," McGlonn says. "Not only will you attract people
who respect what you're aspiring to build, but you'll attract loyal customers as
well."

2. https://uii.io/Smartthinking
But the ability to spin a good yarn was only part of what helped McGlonn craft
a winning pitch. In addition, there was Grant Blvd's social mission of sus-
tainability--using upcycled garments rather than pumping out fast
fashion--and its commitment to finding value that others overlook. Besides two
full-time employees and six part-timers, Grant Blvd relies on formerly
incarcerated contract workers to sew garments made with materials from
secondhand stores and scrap. McGlonn says she recruits from within halfway
houses and work-release programs with the support of a nonprofit, Sankofa
Healing Studio. The effort, she says, is critical for overcoming employment
barriers faced by those with convictions.
McGlonn didn't realize this mission until 2016, when, as a high school teacher,
she screened Ava DuVernay's 13th, which explores how the American prison
system has been used as a means of racial control. She felt moved to address
the fallout of mass incarceration. Looking to harness the power of
entrepreneurship, the fashion fan launched her company the next year.
https://uii.io/Smartthinking
Since then, McGlonn has been on a winning streak. Besides the Small Biz
Challenge, in which she bested more than 2,000 other businesses, she's also
won $10,000 through Beyoncé's philanthropic organization, BeyGood, which
partnered with the NAACP to make grants to Black-owned small businesses.
McGlonn says she's using the collective funds to invest in equipment and staff.
And, surely, she'll keep on telling her story. You have to, she says, since doing
so attracts like-minded folks and creates a virtuous cycle of support: "You
really have to surround yourself with a tribe of people who are helping to
remind you of your 'why,' so you can stay hungry and stay going after it."
https://uii.io/Smartthinking
Pitch Perfect
Second-Place Winner

3. Julie Sullivan Loos.COURTESY COMPANY
"It's important to be transparent about the challenges you face and the
successes that customers can really relate to." --Julie Sullivan Loos, co-founder
of Ground Up Nut Butters, a Portland, Oregon-based nut butter maker that
hires, trains, and mentors women overcoming adversity and challenges, such
as employment gaps, mental health issues, and homelessness
https://uii.io/Smartthinking
Third-Place Winner

4. Sammi Bivens.COURTESY COMPANY
"When pitching or telling your story, number one, you need to know your
business and be able to clearly explain what it is that you do. But, also, don't
just say what people want to hear. Authenticity will outweigh any kind of
seemingly perfect response." --Sammi Bivens, founder and CEO of Digital
Marketing Maven, a Dallas-based digital marketing business
https://uii.io/Smartthinking
CREDIT:
https://www.inc.com/magazine/202112/anna-meyer/pitch-kimberly-mcglonn
-grant-blvd.html