MLWPR

Hi Skip,

The grant would be used towards marketing and client acquistion efforts. MLWPR is a small black-owned boutique public relations agency based in Las Vegas that specializes in fashion, beauty and lifestyle p.r. We know navigating publicity can be tough for minority-owned, locally-owned, and women-owned businesses which is why we have made it our mission to help these businesses gain exposure and visibility however because we service small businesses, it has been very difficult during this recession for them to maintain a public relations/marketing budget and unfortunately, many of our clients have had to cut those budgets which directly affected us. Like any other business, my agency also needs to have a marketing budget and a strategy to attain new clients in order to stay in business. The $5K would be used towards social media ads, purchasing a crm system and cash flow. This money will help us stay afloat through Q4 as we continue our outreach efforts to potential clients.

I think it's important to note why I started my agency. I launched MLWPR during the George Floyd movement because there was a huge lack of representation of minority-owned brands specifically black-owned brands during that time. I found that people were posting a black square to hop on a trend instead of diversity & equity being real components of their company’s ethos. When I launched in August of 2020, I started with 7 black-owned brands and my intention was and still is to bring underrepresented founders to the forefront and create visibility around their businesses. Now even more than ever, it’s still important to support and uplift black-owned brands because affirmative action and DE&I programs are being dismantled in corporations and universities which only widens the divide and makes it even more difficult for minority business owners to access funding, educational opportunities, and the resources they need in order for their businesses to reach the next level. That’s why it’s extremely important to have an advocate like myself who has established connections and can relay the brand’s story, mission, and community impact in such a way that it transcends any color limitations and puts the focus where it should be…on the product. The Skip Growth Grant will help us continue to serve our community in a powerful way. It will allow us to build, consult, and mentor other minority-owned businesses and ultimately, help them grow and succeed in the consumer market.