2018 Grant Program

BEACON is a community-led
campaign to make Washington, DC
the most influential and supportive
city for women entrepreneurs in the
United States.

Check out BEACON's latest report:
Building Inclusive Ecosystems with Intentionality: A Strategy to Enhance Support for DC's Women Founders

Becoming Beacon

Our goal is to make Washington, DC a model city to demonstrate how investors, companies, mentors and government can work together to ensure women entrepreneurs have an equal opportunity to succeed.

Are you an ecosystem builder?
Apply for the BEACON Grant Program!

Click Here to Apply

Help Us Build DC's Most Complete Directory of

Women-Owned Businesses

Krystin Hargrove

Empowomant is a for-profit social impact organization, empowering women to live with intention. We explore 3 core areas: self, family, and career applying our 3 step method of vision, work, and follow through to support women seeking personal and professional alignment. Through collaboration, we work to empower women around the world.

Founder, Owner, Designer

Meaning “smile/laughter” in Swahili, Kicheko Goods is a socially conscious company that designs distinctive pieces which invest in education. Founded in 2014, Kicheko is an emerging brand made in DC. Concepts for the brand’s small batch collections are inspired by geometry, nature, and travel. Kicheko's aesthetic shares an unrefined boldness, sophisticated earthiness and playful simplicity..

Just Rock Enterprises

Just Rock offers music, dance and pe instruction via private, group and workshop experiences throughout the DMV.

Vanessa Ferragut

Greenease is a mobile app that connects consumers with restaurants, cafes and grocers that buy from local and/or sustainable farms.

Find the support for your women-owned business

Resources

Advancement Strategist

Halcyon is a creativity incubator for both social entrepreneurs and socially-conscious artists. Halcyon Incubator, our flagship program, is a competitive, 13-month fellowship program, which includes a 5-month residency, to support the most promising early-stage social entrepreneurs in the world. Incubator accepts 2 cohorts of 8 social enterprises each year and has worked more than 60 ventures.

Margaret Kamara

Young African Professionals Network (YAP)

The Young African Professionals (YAP DC) Network is the premier conveners of events and opportunities for young African diaspora professionals ages 21-40. We provide timely and relevant resources, we facilitate innovative professional development experiences, we foster inspirational networking, and we encourage impactful community building.

Shermica Farquhar

Soka Tribe is a cultural exploration brand specializing in dance fitness, that brings the spirit of Caribbean carnival to you! Soka Tribe is an experience, immersing members and attendees in Caribbean culture and the global carnival community through a variety of ways: our workout class, performances, organized trips, and and social events.

Angela Chester-Johnson

Plum Good LLC - DBA The Spice Is Right Club

We are an online culinary and wellness community featuring spices, herbs and teas that make Magic In Your Kitchen! We sell monthly spice subscriptions, complete with curated recipes for international cuisine, single a la carte spices and teas, as well as teas for wellness, relaxation and rejuvenation. We Know herbs, We talk teas, We speak spices. Join the club!

Events

For Women, By Women, We All Belong Here

FRESH TALK: MakeHER - Women in the Creative Economy

5th Floor Performance Hall

Join four creative women entrepreneurs to explore pressing questions: as more women turn passion into enterprise and define their own trajectories, what challenges do they face? Is the creative economy a true path to artistic and financial freedom? What role does a robust woman-powered network play in the journey?

MakeHER Workshops

5th Floor Performance Hall

Close out the 2018 MakeHER Summit with a day of meaningful connection and deep-dive workshops that will offer practical tips and resource sharing for creative entrepreneurs at all levels. Workshops are designed for entrepreneurs looking for guidance, interested in growing their networks, and hungry for new tools to help their creative endeavors grow and thrive.

MakeHER Workshops

5th Floor Performance Hall

Close out the 2018 MakeHER Summit with a day of meaningful connection and deep-dive workshops that will offer practical tips and resource sharing for creative entrepreneurs at all levels. Workshops are designed for entrepreneurs looking for guidance, interested in growing their networks, and hungry for new tools to help their creative endeavors grow and thrive.

Community