20 startups, small businesses get financial boost from Genesee County grant program

FLINT, MI – Twenty small businesses in Genesee County have received funding through the Flint & Genesee Small Business Hub Grant Program, an initiative led by the Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance, a division of the Flint & Genesee Group.

The program is designed to provide financial support to businesses at various stages of growth, helping them overcome financial barriers and scale successfully.

“Many businesses struggle to grow due to financial limitations,” Karena Hamlet, director of business services at the Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance, said in a statement. “By offering direct support, we’re helping them take the next step—which is especially significant for startups.”

The grant program provided different levels of funding based on business stage. Startups, defined as businesses operating for less than a year, were eligible for $5,000—an amount higher than what most early-stage grants typically offer.

The program awarded grants in three categories:

Start-Up Grants ($5,000) – For businesses operating for less than a year:

Lauren Jones – Elevated Solez

Bryce Keels – Bilingual Buddies

Chynel Williams-Bergeron – BILY LLC

Dustin Ondovcsik – Federal Facility Solutions, LLC

Adrienna Earnest – Luxe Layers Cakery LLC

Toi Edwards – Yoga with Toi LaNique

Micro Grants ($10,000) – For businesses with fewer than 10 full-time employees and operating for over a year:

Stephanie Fenner – Fenner’s Floral and Design Co.

Luther Brown – John L Financial Services

Craig Kelley – Prestige Promotions LLC

Kara Dahlberg – 81Ohm Massage & Co.

Milton Straham – Lil Milton & Company

Kurt Neiswender – Urban Colab Architecture, L.3.C.

La’Asia Johnson – Elle Jae Essentials

Taylor McClain – TC McClain Enterprises

Jonathan Blanchard – STEMLETICS LLC

Melanie Smith – Helping Hands Computer Support LLC

Jessica Allen – KĀLON Apothecary

Small Business Grants ($15,000) – For businesses with 10 or more full-time employees:

Jerome Adams – Adams Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation LLC

Lisa Blondell – Blondie’s Food & Spirits

Jody Blackburn – The Furlough Dog Daycare and Pet Resort LLC

This grant program is part of the Flint & Genesee Small Business Support Hub, one of 27 hubs established statewide earlier this year through the Small Business Support Hub program. The hub offers a customized approach to helping local businesses succeed by providing business counseling, capital access coaching, personal finance mentorship, and resource connections.

The program is funded by the U.S. Department of Treasury and administered by the Michigan Economic Development Corp., with additional support from Doxa Development, Metro Community Development, and the Michigan Small Business Development Center (MI-SBDC).

For more information on the Flint & Genesee Small Business Support Hub, visit DevelopFlintandGenesee.org/Small-Business-Hub.