eBay Awards $500,000 to 2022 Class of Up & Running Grant Recipients

Annual program celebrates eBay's commitment to growing small business, distributing $1.5 million in cash prizes to 150 entrepreneurs since 2020.

SAN JOSE, Calif.  , Sept. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- eBay Inc. today announced the recipients of its third annual Up & Running Grant program, which was created in partnership with Hello Alice to support U.S. small businesses with the capital and resources they need to scale, grow and thrive online.

The Up & Running Grant program annually awards 50 notable eBay sellers each with $10,000 plus customized mentorship, training and tools. Drawn from nearly 15,000 submissions, this year's winners represent 23 states and multiple categories, ranging from a bridal boutique in California to an auto parts shop in Ohio, and a sneakers store in Texas to a trading cards collector in Florida.

"Small business is the heartbeat of eBay, and we're inspired every day by the millions of entrepreneurs whose passion, innovation and ambition drive one of the most trusted and richly stocked marketplaces in the world," said Adam Ireland, GM and VP, eBay U.S. "What we continue to hear from small business owners is that access to capital, to a community, and to business development resources are vital to their growth – and we will continue to invest in tools, advocacy and programs like the Up & Running Grant to enable their success and unlock their potential."

A survey of 2020-2021 grant recipients revealed that the program provided them with critical support, with 91% of businesses citing the grant "extremely or very" helpful to their business, and an overwhelming 94% confident that their doors would remain open thanks to eBay. Recipients span categories like fashion, handbags, electronics, comics, collectibles, sports equipment, motors and more.

Meet eBay's Class of 2022 Up & Running Grant winners:

• Adina Ringler, Adina's Bridal, Northridge, CA
• William Sellitto, AESellitto, Graniteville, SC
• Sylvestre Apolonio, Aiden Laptop, Fontana, CA
• Candice Busby, Hi Good Buy!, Hutchins, TX
• Kimberly Dawson, Beautiful Old Souls, Las Vegas, NV
• Christian Lewon, Bisbee Racing, Bisbee, AZ
• James Patrick, Business Bushido, Jacksonville, FL
• Michael Cheung, Kaylee*s Korner, Monterey Park, CA
• Clair Brockway, Clairs Wears, Arden, NC
• Michael Wagner, Comic-Con Collectibles, Denver, CO
• John Salcedo, Shop Azul, Cedar Rapids, IA
• Daisy Smith, DaisyLo, Fayetteville, GA
• Debra Wenzel, DDW Quilts, Casa Grande, AR
• Anthony Nguyen, Demin Rag, TX
• Dominic Moreno, DM Online Sales, Casa Grande, AZ
• Michelle Nguyen, Emmi's Closet, Arlington, TX
• Sharon Knight, Everyday Vintage Boutique, MIdlothian, VA
• Laura Buffardi, Figo Fashion, Palm Beach, FL
• Jaster Nyasulu, Fitness Braces, Redmond, WA
• Jaimie Finley, Pop-Blox, Jonesboro, AR
• Francisco Meneses Luna, Free One PDX Shop, Beaverton, OR
• Raquel Paula, Graced in Glory, Wilmington, DE
• Ruth Hensman, Hand Up Network, Tyler, TX
• Dawn Ambrose, Heated 4 U, Street, MD
• Heather Page, Heather Dawn 14, Plantsville, CT
• Kristen Carrillo, Hoarders Alley, Huntington Beach, CA
• Jonathan Proulx, We Can Sell That, Alpine, UT
• Annie Smidt, Pinpointed, Salem, MA
• Katelyn Pivot, Legacy Sales, Fredericksburg, VA
• Jamie Deruso, Mic 8086, Yucaipa, CA
• Dora Bobrosky, Make Time for Magic, Big Stone Gap, VA
• Jill Faxon, Miss Jill's Closet, Palm Springs, CA
• Jeffery Abed, Multiverse Technologies, Oakton, VA
• Nickolai Bakken, Nickeleye Supply Solutions, Delano, MN
• Freddy Alvarez, PKWY Collection, Austin, TX
• Justin Okeke, PowrUp Gaming, Raleigh, NC
• Ashton Pepper, Purse-N-All Style, Tulsa, OK
• Ricardo Moreno, R&M Wholesale, Downey, CA
• Rachel Fournier, Racfour 14, San Antonio, TX
• Richard Brooks, Remember When Cards, Wimauma, FL
• Lauren Villareal, Round Two Avenue, Decatur, IL
• Dexter Bowling, Jr., ShoeBiz, Vienna, VA
• Simona Drentea, Simply The Best For You, Colorado Springs, CO
• Marisa Torrres, Sportscar Salvage, Rootstown, OH
• Anthony Harnell, Sportsnatic, Oxnard, CA
• Martha Teissier-Lule, Teissier Vintage, Oxnard, CA
• Sarah McKibben, The McKibben Family, Orange Park, FL
• Kellie Ward, Tickled Lucky Ducky Resale, Oklahoma City, OK
• Miguel Sotero Gonzalez Velazquez, Wabbit76, Indio, CA
• Andrea Winchester, Winchester's Works, Oakdale, CA

Through Hello Alice, all grant recipients are enrolled in an online community of similar businesses for peer-to-peer mentoring, networking and support for all stages of business.

In April 2020 eBay announced Up & Running, a $100 million small business accelerator program to address the devastating impacts of COVID-19 to small, local retail businesses. Built on eBay's long-standing commitment to "enabling economic opportunity for all," the program sought to help small businesses without an e-commerce presence transition to online selling.

In November 2020 – to expand on its "Up & Running" pledge – eBay introduced the Up & Running Grant program in partnership with Hello Alice. Now in its third year, the program has received more than 45,000 applications from entrepreneurs sharing details of their small business and how they plan to use the grant to fuel their growth. Following a comprehensive review, 50 sellers are chosen annually to each receive $10,000 in cash along with premium access to eBay Academy — eBay's e-learning platform — as well as direct training, Q&A sessions and mentorship from ranking eBay sellers. See the 2022 winners in this video here.

Hello Alice is a free, multichannel platform that helps businesses launch and grow. With a community of more than 600,000 business owners in all 50 states and across the globe, Hello Alice is building the largest network of owners in the country while tracking data and trends to increase the success rate for entrepreneurs. Our partners include enterprise business services, government agencies, and institutions looking to serve small- and medium business owners to ensure increased revenues and promote scale. Founded by Carolyn Rodz and Elizabeth Gore, we believe in business for all by providing access to all owners, including women, people of color, veterans, and everyone with an entrepreneurial spirit.

eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY) is a global commerce leader that connects people and builds communities to create economic opportunity for all. Our technology empowers millions of buyers and sellers in more than 190 markets around the world, providing everyone the opportunity to grow and thrive. Founded in 1995 in San Jose, California, eBay is one of the world's largest and most vibrant marketplaces for discovering great value and unique selection. In 2021, eBay enabled over $87 billion of gross merchandise volume. For more information about the company and its global portfolio of online brands, visit www.ebayinc.com.

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SOURCE eBay Inc.