Photo: Courtesy of American Express
One of the many ways American Express supports the LGBTQ+ community is through our Backing Small grant programs. As we celebrate Pride, we want to shine a spotlight on three small businesses whose passion and entrepreneurship have been helped by this funding in 2022.
My Grandmother’s Table, Charlevoix, Michigan
Photo: Courtesy of American Express
No matter who you are, there is a seat at the table for you at My Grandmother’s Table, a unique bakery, café and coffee bar that serves locally-sourced, internationally-inspired dishes and baked goods. But even before diners get to that literal and figurative table, they are greeted by artwork that portrays a day in the life of the owner’s family table in the late 1950s. Restaurant owner Nick Easton and founding chef/baker Jozef Zebediah - married partners - say the inclusive environment they work hard to foster pays homage to the spirit of Zebediah’s grandmother, Martha Vukovich DeMarino. She welcomed everyone into her home, in turn, they welcome everyone at the restaurant.
How did the Amex Backing Small grant help your business?
Zebediah: We’re using the grant to develop our retail section. We will produce and sell an array of diverse foods such as Native American Three Sisters Stew, Italian Artisanal Pastas, and Peruvian Lentil Tacos in the form of packs and kits both in-house and at regional farmers markets.
Kadeem One, Brooklyn, New York
Photo: Courtesy of American Express
Known as a home away from home for wellness enthusiasts, Kadeem One helps to inspire and increase the overall well-being of the LGBTQ+ community and other minority groups through meditation, aromatherapy, sound therapy, and an energy healing system known as Pranic Healing. The business, named after the owner, was founded in 2019, which the owner calls “divine timing,” given the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020. Demand for his work increased with the onset of the pandemic.
How did the Amex Backing Small grant help your business?
One: The grant helped with building costs so I could keep holding wellness classes and workshops for my customers. It’s important for American Express to invest in companies like mine because we are some of the ones that are invested in the least yet have some of the most profound and direct effects on communities. My journey has been difficult. However, with investments like the one I have received from American Express, I can focus more on what I do best: helping others live a more balanced, fulfilled and mentally and emotionally healthy life.
P+E Wellness, Sommerville, Massachusetts
Photo: Courtesy of Simone Schiess
P+E Wellness is a queer-owned boutique fitness studio founded by Emily Kaplan and Piseth Sam in 2019 with a mission to diversify the fitness industry and make wellness accessible to everyone. The owners say it was difficult for them to find a space where they could move their bodies freely, so they created one.
How did the Amex Backing Small grant help your business?
Sam: To make wellness financially accessible, we’ve created a fund that allows us to offer lower-cost/no-cost classes. In doing so, we create a trusting, collaborative community wherein all people feel comfortable exploring and pushing their limits. We also used the grant to help offset operational losses from the pandemic.