[January 13, 2022]

SmartBiz Awards $25,000 in Grants to Minority-Owned Small Businesses

SmartBiz Loans^®, the leading small business financing platform for SBA and bank term loans, has announced five new recipients of the 2021 SmartBiz^® Grant Program. The Program was established to support minority, women, and veteran business owners during the continuing pandemic and is an extension of the Company's mission to help equip entrepreneurs with reliable access to smart capital.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220113005347/en/

Last quarter, SmartBiz awarded five $5,000 grants for a total of $25,000 to small businesses in the U.S. as part of the Program. The recipients were chosen from a pool of eligible minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses who applied and outlined how they will use the funds to help their business face new challenges and move forward.

"The SmartBiz team is committed to empowering entrepreneurs across the U.S.," says Evan Singer, CEO of SmartBiz. "From supply chain problems to hiring issues, we know that brighter days are coming and are proud to contribute to small business rebuilding."

The grant recipients include Jasmine Parker, owner of Listen to Your Art Therapy & Empowerment Services, LLC located in Spring Hill, Florida. Theorganization provides art therapy sessions to assist teens in solving problems, increasing self-esteem, building social skills, and behavior management. Grant funds will be used to expand their mobile services.

Eliana Stefanitsis, owner of Molos Restaurant, is using the proceeds for staff uniforms and vendor payments. Molos Restaurant is a Greek and Mediterranean inspired seafood restaurant located on the Hudson River in New Jersey.

MPower Fitness, located in Palm Coast, Florida, is owned and operated by Fatima Q. Sena. She'll use grant funds to purchase gym equipment so she can work with an older demographic and for print advertising to reach that community.

Freedom Bremner describes himself as a singer, songwriter, and storyteller. He is the founder of Houseofreedom, LLC in New Jersey. The funds will be used for social media and online marketing to promote his live music production services.

Brandi Dobbins owns and operates B's Maple House Restaurant in Ontario, California. Founded in 2020, B's Maple House specializes in soul food, blending California flavor with traditional Southern delights. The grant funds will help support daily business operations and new equipment purchases.

SmartBiz has committed to support an ongoing grant program for minority, women, or veteran-owned businesses.

ABOUT SMARTBIZ LOANS

SmartBiz is the leading AI-powered small business financing platform for SBA and bank term loans, equipping entrepreneurs with access to the right capital at the right time. To date, SmartBiz has connected borrowers with more than $9 billion in SBA 7(a), PPP, and bank term loans while increasing efficiency for its network of banks and trusted lending partners. Over 60% of the loans funded by our banks are for minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses. More than 230,000 entrepreneurs have utilized SmartBiz to access the funding they need to grow.

Founded in 2009 and headquartered in San Francisco, SmartBiz is backed by Venrock, Investor Growth Capital, First Round Capital, Baseline Ventures, and Uncork Capital. Learn more at smartbizloans.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220113005347/en/

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