Founders First CDC Launches $100,000 Job Creators Quest Grant Program

Founders First CDC, a national non-profit organization, has announced its new Job Creators Quest Grant to support BIPOC business owners throughout Texas.

The grant will award $100,000 to support minority and underrepresented business owners throughout the state of Texas. Founders First will award 30 grants to diverse-led companies in north, south, and central Texas with between two and 20 employees and the ability to add 1-2 premium wage jobs within the next year. Grant recipients will also receive a full scholarship to one of Founders First’s stellar accelerator programs.

The Job Creators Quest Grant was established to help businesses create premium wage jobs and reward diverse-owned businesses throughout Texas to retain and grow their workforce through the pandemic. The grants will help positively impact the local and state economies, create job opportunities, higher wages, and provide the human capital needed for businesses to grow and expand.

Last month, Founders First provided grants to businesses in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Camden, Trenton, and Newark, New Jersey. The First Founders Grant Program was launched early this year and will award and distribute a total of more than $220,000 throughout the U.S.

Funding for this program was facilitated by $1 million grant from the Rockefeller Foundation, in conjunction with Founders First Capital Partners $9 million Series A financing earlier this year. Additional partners include Black Enterprise, ADP, BCL of Texas, Bank OZK, The Study USA, Veteran Women’s Enterprise Center, The DEC Network, PeopleFund and The Mass Challenge.

“We have observed many founders working more in their business than on their business. Our priority is to give entrepreneurs resources to grow while simultaneously becoming premium wage job creators within their community,” Shaylon Scott, executive director of Founders First said in a release. “Investing in diverse entrepreneurs is an impactful way to drive job and wealth creation in underserved communities. The Job Creators Quest Grant is more than a dollar amount, it’s a celebration of their success.” Click here to apply for the Texas Job Creators Quest Grant.

Here are four Texas-based entrepreneurs who have participated in programs offered by Founders First:

Tahjar Roamartinez, Cyber Warfighters Group, Inc

The Cyber Warfighters Group (CWG) is a Texas based IT/cybersecurity service and solution service. The CWG scouts out vulnerable holes in a company’s network and security infrastructure and provides solutions.

The group also sports a 24/7/365 Security Operation Center which provides network and system monitoring and proactively mitigate threats while providing rapid incident response to cyber threats. Additionally, CWG uses a Blockchain technology solution to secure the supply chain and ensure product integrity throughout its production cycle. CWG is currently moving to expand into the construction, life science, energy and automotive industries.

Kehlin Swain, Xplosion Technology

Xplosion mobile application provides a pathway for overcoming barriers to weight management in African American women through its data collection of food intake and physical activity

The app contains an automated food and fitness tracker combined with a social network resource to incentivized new users with social games that are fitness that can be played with friends and family based on behavior science of rewards, fear of missing out, and loss aversion. These features provide a powerful tool for the user to achieve a healthy BMI and maintain their health over a lifetime.

Artura Taylor, TDG Scientific

TDG Scientific is a diverse, small, minority, woman, and disabled, integrated solution provider of laboratory equipment, supplies, and chemicals, headquartered in Dallas, TX.

TDG Scientific’s extensive investment in technology, including online ordering and cXML integration into any third party e-procurement system enables it to operationalize diversity spend with ease, handle tail end spend, and quickly achieve vendor consolidation.

The company plans to scale to $20 million and continue to pursue business opportunities with some of the largest pharmaceutical companies.

Steven Davis, Helping Hands Community Support Services

The Helping Hands Community Support Services (HHCSS) is a community-based behavioral health agency that strives to create and deliver compassionate solutions that empower, enrich, and elevate the community in which they serve.

HHCSS’ programs help children ages 4-17 learn effective techniques for managing anger and other emotions through treatment and support from community support specialists. HHCSS’ certified partners have experience uplifting children and with mental health issues and assist children with family peer connectedness, as well as with mood monitoring.