A local healthcare provider, a children’s gym, and a comedy club: These are just a few of the hundreds of businesses represented among the first five rounds of recipients from the KKR Small Business Builders program.
Created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the program includes a $10,000 grant, mentoring and coaching opportunities with KKR employees, as well as resources and online community through Hello Alice. Small businesses in countries around the world are eligible, with preference given to those pivoting in response to the pandemic or providing vital community services.
Two of the most recent recipients of this program are Dionne Presinal and Kerry Donegan, the co-founders and co-presidents of Bronx Yoga Lab. Founded as the Bronx’s only hot yoga studio in January 2020, the two women struggled to keep the business afloat after the pandemic forced them to close their studio space for a year.
“The margins in the yoga industry are much smaller than many would expect,” they explain. “Due to the amount of space needed for a proper studio and recruiting/maintaining highly qualified teachers, the overhead costs to run a studio are often overwhelming. The amount of work behind the scenes to keep a studio running smoothly, build a supportive culture, and meet overhead costs often looks seamless and easy, but actually requires constant nurturing, dedication, and hard work that are not always visible.”
They say the $10,000 grant puts them in a strong financial position to make up for lost revenue and continue offering vital health and wellness resources to the Bronx.
Still, KKR and Hello Alice recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic is not over, and the road to recovery is long. In response, our partners at KKR have pledged an additional $1.5 million to support small businesses with additional rounds of grant funding.
“KKR is honored to expand our partnership with Hello Alice and GEN Global to continue supporting small businesses as they recover and build resiliency,” said Joe Bae and Scott Nuttall, co-presidents and co-chief operating officers of KKR. “We plan to continue our KKR Relief Effort programs to spur global economic recovery and nurture the high-impact organizations and businesses playing a critical role in rebuilding and strengthening our communities.”
You can check out the full list of Round 1 – 6 recipients below, and subscribe to the Hello Alice newsletter to stay up-to-date on current programs and funding opportunities!
Round 6 Recipients
Amanda Gilchrist
Designed By Purpose Counseling & Consulting | Aiken, SC
Anietra LaBranche
The Inferno Barre and Dance Studio | Chicago, IL
Antoine Hutchinson
Fabpro Technologies | Baltimore, MD
Candice Norris
Shabu Plus | Washington, D.C.
Chantel Bratcher-Coleman
Shaping Minds Therapy | Newark, DE
Cheing Winston
Personfinances4us | Baltimore, MD
Cindy Graham
Brighter Hope Wellness Center | Clarksville, MD
Sandra Griffiths
Yoga Angels | Beverly Hills, CA
Debra Stirone
Gourmet Goodies | Mendon, NY
Deep Patel
OCA Mocha | Arbutus, MD
Deuene Hickman
Quality of Life Counseling Center | Hampton, VA
Faryal Rohail
WASE | London, United Kingdom
Huan Sun
Catonsville Happy Feet | Catonsville, MD
Jauvon Gilliam
Capitol Percussion + Backline Rentals | Riverdale, MD
Joel Cosme, Jr.
Community Grounds Coffee & Meeting House | Columbus, OH
Jon Renthrope
Cajun Fire Brewing Company | New Orleans, LA
Joseph Burgess
Queer Bar | Seattle, WA
Kathy Jo Miller Taylor
KJ’s Cakery Bakery | Kent, WA
Kelly Smith
Minni | Boston MA
Kenneth Ekechukwu
Axo Rock Kitchen & Lounge | El Paso TX
Lesia Daniel
Funtime Preschool of Clinton | Clinton, MS
Lisamarie Smith
Carpe Bleu’s Catering | Sacramento, CA
Lois Baker
Sweet Sosumba Vegan Cafe | Washington, D.C.
Means Cameron
blaCk Coffee Lounge | Cincinnati, OH
Melissa Eisner
Coffee Bandits | Merced, CA
Meredith Kaunitz
Art. Play. Learn. | Bowie, MD
Michael Bailey
Industry Soundz | Blue Springs, MO
Ming Thompson
Atelier Cho Thompson | New Haven, CT
Natalie Salinas
Olde Madrid | Racine, WI
Nathaniel DeMont
DeMont Guitars | Oswego, IL
Nicole Davidson
Batter Bar | Lynchburg, VA
Noel Davis
Paris Fit Studios | Philadelphia, PA
Nyshia Cook
NC Music Center | Charlotte, NC
Patrick Schnettler
12 Tides | San Francisco, CA
Perrin Chipouras
Orange Poppy Spa | Boulder, CO
Scott Proctor
East Side Pot Shop | Austin, TX
Shaunya Noble
Pastaholics | Lithia Springs, GA
Ticora Elaine Davis
The Creator’s Law Firm | Charlotte, NC
Tiffany Perkins
Plant Perks | Missoula, MT
Michael Davis
Good Vibes | Country Club Hills, IL
Twyla Grider
Stellar Creative Collective | Union City, NJ
Tyrell Timpson
Macon Progress Basketball | Beaverton, OR
Ulysses Marcelino
Excel Taekwondo Center | Canoga Park, CA
Uzonna Mkparu
Sun Group Energy | Seekonk, MA
Venus Barratt
The Wellness Kitchen of Warrenton, VA | Warrenton, VA
Vinessa Dickson
The Star Look | Decatur, GA
Willie Robinson
Chi-Town Cuts and Fades | Los Angeles, CA
Rounds 4 and 5 Recipients
Jessica Adnani
Personalized Solutions | Scottsdale, AZ
Bakeer Al Mateen
Pen & Chisel Real Estate | Baltimore, MD
Stephanie Allen
Northgate Land Development | Baton Rouge, LA
Norman ‘Akin’ Alston
Engageable Designs Unleashed | Kent, WA
April Anderson
Good Cakes and Bakes | Detroit, MI
Pearl Bailey-Anderson
LA Pearl Beauty Emporium | Philadelphia, PA
Daniel Barat
Lakeview Rewired Cafe | Chicago, IL
Bril Barrett
M.A.D.D. Rhythms | Chicago, IL
Alisha Battle
Perfect Reflections Daycare | Blue Island, IL
Lindsay Bergman
Green Mountain Painting & Contracting | Fort Collins, CO
Nicole Broushet
The Vegan Nest | Worcester, MA
Pomai Brown
Pomai Entertainment | Waikoloa, HI
Tresalyn Butler-Sharp
Young Chefs Academy of Gahanna | Columbus, OH
Candace Carrillo
The Stillwell House | Tucson, AZ
Javier Castillo
Castillo’s Restaurant | San Jose, CA
Galina Cherkas
Little People Preschool | San Francisco, CA
Christy Cooks
Lancook Transportation | Morrow, GA
Diane Cottle
Genanscot Services | Detroit, MI
Micah Crews
Gavin’s Downtown | Harrisburg, AR
Maria Daniel
Tree of Life Adult Day Care | Miami, FL
Dr. Kristian Edwards
BLK + GRN | Upper Marlboro, MD
Rebecca Eseonu-Chukwu
Xcel |South Riding, VA
Dana Fisher Specialty Marketing, LLC
Dental On Location | Bountiful, UT
Matthew Foulds
The Eco Larder CIC | Edinburgh, Scotland
Hector Guadalupe
Unibody Fitness | New York, NY
Kyla Hanaway-Quinlan
Pawtuxet Village Café | Cranston, RI
Karen Harris
Orange Fox Electrical | Dereham, England
Nam Hoang
Freshroll | San Francisco, CA
Malika Jacobs
Kingmakers | Columbus, OH
TeOnya Johnson
The Heavy Hanger | Wichita, KS
Jasmine Jones
Prestige Play and Learn | Norristown, PA
Mark Kahn
Downtown Yogurt | Jersey City, NJ
Julieta King
Villa Mexico Cafe | Boston, MA
Micki Krimmel
Superfit Hero | Crestline, CA
Tammie Latrell Harris
Mezzo Agency | Atlanta, GA
Michele Liddle
The Perfect Granola | Victor, NY
Sophia Louis
Auntie Sophie’s Daycare | Lancaster, CA
Desarae Marhofer
Beautiful You Skincare Studio | Pueblo, CO
Ivy Mellow
Ivy’s Simply Homemade | Waterford, CT
Leydi Meza
Oregon Design Specialist | Portland, OR
Edith Morris
BigOak Country Company | Urbanna, VA
Lorraine Newton
Taste of the Caribbean | Capital Heights, MD
Jay Newton-Small
MemoryWell |Washington, D.C.
Bryan O’Neill
Pilot Pipeline | New Hyde Park, NY
Jeana Parenti
Clovis Floral & Café | Clovis, CA
Tarasha Pearson
Pearson Pediatric Dentistry | Washington, DC
Dionne Presinal
Bronx Yoga Lab | Bronx, NY
Nur-E Rahman
Korai Kitchen | Jersey City, NJ
Sylvestra Ramirez
Physical Therapy of Milwaukee | Milwaukee, WI
Wesley Rankin
HiveBoxx | Seattle, WA
Mandy Reed
Reed Agency | Canon City, CO
Joyce Reed
Slow Burn Hot Chicken | Madison, TN
Christine Rose
4 Corners Yoga + Wellness | Dorchester, MA
Christian Santos
Movers & Co. | Lancaster, PA
Zaheda Sayed
Golden Eagle Shuttles | Lyndhurst, NJ
Marvin Scarborough
Foot Soldiers | Brooklyn, NY
Sasha Schwartz
Scribble Art Workshop Corporation | Wingdale, NY
Amanda Scotese
Chicago Detours | Chicago, IL
Kristin Sherman
The Learning Experience at Allen | Allen, TX
Gemma Sole
N.A.bld | New York, NY
Christine Staley
Magic City Hoagies | Minot, ND
Thomas Todd
Championship Martial Arts | Omaha, NE
Adriana Tucker
Bliss In Home Healthcare | Norfolk, VA
Akbar Vaiya
One Eyed Mike’s | Baltimore, MD
Narendra Varma
Our Table Cooperative | Sherwood, OR
Arlene Wagner
Bub and Pop’s | Washington, D.C.
Angela Wandera
FLORENA | Eden Prairie, MN
Zuzana Warner
Green Bench Cafe | Dublin, Ireland
Erin Westgate
Songbird Coffee & Tea House | Phoenix, AZ
Vaughn J. Whitfield
Maximum Fitness | Walkersville, MD
Aaron Young
The Green Company | Detroit, MI
Lorena Zeilman
True Shine | Flagstaff, AZ
Round 3 Recipients
Austin Blose
Zack’s Local Farm to Table Restaurant and Catering | New Bethlehem, PA
Shannon Seip
Bean Sprouts | Madison, WI
Monica Lamont
Lamont Homes | Washington, D.C.
Hawa Sultani
Crest Cafe | Sacramento, CA
Sarina Prabasi
Buunni Coffee | New York, NY
Rocio Burga Montero
Lima Peruvian Food | San Francisco, CA
Michael Van Camp
Amali Restaurant | New York, NY
Eric See
Ursula | Brooklyn, NY
Kapana Niki Sing
Hickory Street Kitchen and Cocktails | Sisseton, SD
Helen Schafer
Tiny House Coffee Roasters | Austin, TX
Matthew Day
United Educational Corp Programs | Randallstown, MD
David Greene
CrossFit Spero | Oak Park, IL
Jim Gunther
The Inn On First | Napa, CA
Luis Garcia
Bixbee | Chicago, IL
Zachary Glassman
Passion Passport | Brooklyn, NY
Robbie Stuart
Kids Worldwide | Brooklyn, NY
Kerwin Rent
EliteGamingLIVE | Columbia, MD
Tinia Pina
Re-Nuble | New York, NY
Shana Murad
D’s Market | Scottsdale, AZ
Bob Burke
Pot au Feu | Providence, RI
Anthony Jolly
Hot and Cool Cafe | Los Angeles, CA
Leslie Campbell
Sustain LA | Los Angeles, CA
Amy Cornforth
Captain Zodiac | Kailua-Kona, HI
Amit Rabinovich
Forma Pasta Factory | Brooklyn, NY
Sam Lyeon Moon
Medipoints Acupuncture Clinic | Menlo Park, CA
Ulviyya Nasibova
Gelateria Uli | Los Angeles, CA
Mariechia Palmer
Spring Eternal Behavioral Health | Oklahoma City, OK
Rebecca Sawhney
Marlowe | Berkeley, CA
Casey Stevens
The Refill Shoppe | Ventura, CA
Dante Corsi
People’s Restaurant Equipment | Detroit, MI
Heather Alanis
KidsPark | Arlington, TX
Tisa Clark
J.D. Clark Professional Services | Upper Marlboro, MD
Valeen Bhat
Private Picassos Studio | Brooklyn, NY
Dustin Owens
Tru 2 Form Hoops | Glen Echo, MD
Kate Houck
The Underground Kitchen | Richmond, VA
Martin Murch
Good Eats Group | Chicago, IL
Quiana Shamsid-Deen
Supreme Burger | Decatur, GA
Lisa Pena
Jamon Montessori | Silver Spring, MD
Olufemi Ibitayo
L’Art de Vivre Spa | Los Angeles, CA
Marcisco Morrison
Four Fitness | Jersey City, NJ
Renee Hillmann Prentice
Annapolis Children’s Therapy Center | Annapolis, MD
Anita Winters
Rock It Resell | Portland, OR
Alfred Walker
Walker Quality Services | Cypress, TX
Alexander De Almeida
Crispim BJJ | Pleasanton, CA
Michael Cook
Tempe Dance West | Phoenix, AZ
Alexander Washut
Jake’s Restaurant | Northampton, MA
Michelle Craig
Transcendent Law Group | New Orleans, LA
Leandro Lissa
Jumpin’ Jamboree | Doral, FL
Gina Mariko Rosales
Make it Mariko | San Francisco, CA
Charles McCoy
Artisan Luxury Brands | New York, NY
Lisa Gutierrez
Dos Hermanos Taco Truck | Columbus, OH
Todd Skog
Todd’s Room | Birmingham, MI
Round 2 Recipients
Yvonne Cox
Emmanuel Adult Day Center | Bridgeton, MO
Zayana Harriday
Peace Homes | Southfield, MI
Vivian Ross
Elephant in the Room Counseling Services | Augusta, GA
Leo Pollock
The Compost Plant | Providence, RI
Victoria Sesay
Sesay Enterprises | Johns Creek, GA
Karim Abouelnaga
Practice Makes Perfect | New York, NY
Katherine Tesch
Circus Academy of Tucson | Tucson, AZ
Faith Lee
Bird & Branch | New York, NY
Alessandro Biggi
Avocaderia | New York, NY
Darlene Crask
Ices Plain & Fancy | St. Louis, MO
Kristin Kagetsu
Saathi | New York, NY
Vania Abdul-Badee
360 Marketing & PR | Camden, NJ
Grace Melek
Success Fitness & Training Center | Maplewood, MN
Emmett Soldati
Teatotaller | Somersworth, NH
Emily McHugh
Casauri | Fort Pierce, FL
Catherine Jaffee
House of Pod | Denver, CO
Stella Husch
Strive Recreational Therapy | Clarkston, MI
Belinda Bates
Bates Distributors and Suppliers | Southfield, MI
Tara Darnley
Darlyng & Co. | Greensboro, NC
Shelley Wiseman
The Farm Cooking School | Solebury, PA
Joan Kanner
Bottoms Up Bagels | Baltimore, MD
Lilly Benitez
Blade Craft Barber Academy | Dallas, TX
Rochelle Brenner
Action Karate Mt. Airy | Philadelphia, PA
Courtney Blagrove
Whipped – Urban Dessert Lab | New York, NY
Mary Chris Ong
Soma Mvmt | Maplewood, NJ
Krittika Khandelwal
Soothi | Duluth, GA
Priyanka Raha
PopSmartKids | Bellevue, WA
Jewell Singletary
Gratitude Griot | Newark, NJ
Beverly Malbranche
Caribbrew | Newark, NJ
Monika Reti
Hipcooks | Portland, OR
Jessie Weinzatl
Coastal Massage and Wellness | Jacksonville, NC
Khadijah Robinson
The Nile List | Washington, D.C.
Lakischia M Smith
Who Dat Barber Shop | Harvey, LA
Carmen Brown
NJ Home Health Care | Jersey City, NJ
Pearl Ubaru
SiSTEM Tutoring Agency | Houston, TX
Courtney Bromwich
Sawnee School of Ballet | Cumming, GA
LeToya Garland
School of Breaking | Aurora, CO
Kristina Han
Own Your Wonder | Washington, D.C.
Jereatha Nichols
Smart Economic Development Fund of South Carolina | Orangeburg, SC
Maria Duerson
Umbrella Functional Consulting & Support Team | Croydon, PA
Brittany Holtz
Studio B Power Yoga | Harrisburg, PA
Miquel Henderson
The Studio Mind|Body | Boulder City, NV
Kevin McLaughlin
Larema Coffee House | Rocky Mount, NC
Cassiopeia Sledge
The Black Mall | Chicago, IL
Heather Harrison
The Bake Shop | Edgewater, FL
Linda Skwarcan
Veni’s Sweet Shop | Niles, MI
Usifo Ighedosa
Cookie Cutters Haircuts for Kids | Sugar Land TX
Corie A Lange
Mama Cella’s Pizza Station & Catering | Lima, OH
Kelly DiNardo
Past Tense Yoga Studio | Washington, D.C.
Sarah Anderson
Yoga on Beacon | Seattle, WA
Eugene Tan
Aquabumps Surf Photography | Sydney, Australia
Ivano Cafolla
Zazu | Donnybrook, Ireland
Round 1 Recipients
Nick Anderer
Anton’s | New York, NY
Gary Carter
Sitpinyo Muay Thai & Fitness | Hong Kong
Justin Gurland and Zac Clark
Release Recovery | Yorktown Heights, NY
Lisle Richards
The Village Den | New York, NY
Trishala Bhansali
Lekha | New Orleans, LA
Daymara Baker
Rockin’ Baker Incorporated | Fayetteville, AR
Hossein Akbari
The Discovery Years | San Jose, CA
Beth Plante
Charleston Power Yoga | Charleston, SC
Warren Norgaard
Milkweed Arts | Phoenix, AZ
Teri Van Goethem
DC Born & Bread | Washington, D.C.
Francine Zodda
A Child’s Place | McHenry, IL
Thomas C. Trotman
TNT Construction Training | Denver, CO
Michael A. Robinson
Dallas Costume Shoppe | Dallas, TX
Monica Wong
Little Green Cyclo | South San Francisco, CA
Athanasios Hatzinas
Yetter’s Diner | Augusta, NJ
Kareem Badr
The Hideout Theatre | Austin, TX
Tyrone Foster
Precision Landscape Services | Portland, OR
Janie Deegan
Janie’s Life-Changing Baked Goods | New York, NY
Lexi Beach
The Astoria Bookshop | New York, NY
Anna Peters
Art Coop | Urbana, IL
Sherille D. Barber
Barber Therapy & Associates | Rock Hill, SC
Brenda Bueno
Little Daydreamers Learning Center 2 | New York, NY
Alina Ackenbom
Camp Friendship | Palmyra, VA
Bridget Manzanares
Flagship Real Estate Group | Encinitas, CA
Melissa Anelli
Mischief Management | New York, NY
Lane Velayo
Synergos Association Management | Indianapolis, IN
Cate Phillips
Capstone Calling | West Bend, WI
Jimmie Richard
Richards Family Group | Willowick, OH
Jessie Lipkowitz
Polarity | Ann Arbor, MI
Charlotte Guyton
Bard & Baker | Troy, NY
Dennis Williams
W.Heir’s | Winter Springs, FL
Eric Cruz
Progressive Health & Performance | Murrieta, CA
Jaime Adams
Poshy Paws | Peoria, AZ
Zoe Schuler
ZMD | Madison, WI
Jonathan Byun
Playcenter | Lakewood, CA
Debbie Hall
Century Travel | Austin, TX
Jim O’Connor
Homestead Inn | Wolf Point, MT
Laura Oldaker
Academy for Caregiving Excellence | Tucson, AZ
Nicole Phillips
Inner Me | Houston, TX
Mona Ghattas
Duran Central Pharmacy | Albuquerque, NM
Mary Williams
Urgent & Primary Care Of Clarksdale | Clarksdale, MS
Kyle Black
RollerCade | Detroit, MI
Patrick Lai
Game Theory Restaurant + Bar | Fort Worth, TX
Sandra Stroehmann
Elixir Mind Body Massage | Denver, CO
Deborah Carlin
Debbie’s Dance Studio | Williamson, WV
Christian Davis
Supply Locale | Chicago, IL
Tom Rummel
MrCleanSD | San Diego, CA
Sheila Rhodes
Small Batch Kitchen Cafe and Market | Lansdale, PA
Cristina Atencio
Isabel Blackwell | Portland, OR
Ribner
PiperWai | New York, NY
Evonya Easley
Love E | Atlanta, GA
Kristi K May
Legend Acres | Surprise, AZ
Moiz Bohra
Nova Home Care | Farmington Hills, MI
Alda Escobar
Madre Luna | Corona, CA
Sian DeLuca
SensationAll Kids Gym | Concord, CA
Applications for the next round of the KKR Small Business Builders program open in Fall 2021. Click here to learn more and submit once applications reopen!