BMO Harris Pavilion

April McGillis of April Elizabeth Art LLC. April’s products include original artwork, prints, charms, stickers, and pins.

“This grant’s impact is astronomical. This grant gives me the capital to create a space that my work deserves. With a grant like this, I would be able to sell at any event and come back to Summerfest for years to come,” said McGillis.

Anna Villarreal of Ever Fluorescent, is an independent artist who sells her designs and creations and takes custom requests for paintings and graphic design. Her work focuses on fluorescent/neon/blacklight reactive artwork, apparel, and accessories.

“This grant allows me to make my display as professional and exciting as possible. Putting my best foot forward at such a well-known and heavily-traveled event like Summerfest will have long-lasting effects like repeat customers and referrals down the road. This is so very important for the continued success and growth of my small business,” said Villarreal.

Madison Tebo of Madison Dawne Studios, a one-craftswoman show offering printed and naturally dyed textile goods, handmade paper items, hand bound books, greeting cards, prints, digital work and commission projects of all types.

“Working two jobs, this grant allows me to focus more on my business, improve all of my display materials, and be able to hire the help I need to be a successful vendor at the Summerfest Marketplace,” said Tebo.

Jamie Andrzejewski of Nourish Natural Products, a wellness brand of products for the body, mind, and home that believes in nourishing people both inside and out through spreading kindness and our message that each individual matters.

“Receiving this grant money significantly impacts our small business. It provides us the cash flow—and true backbone—needed to prepare for this incredible opportunity,” said Andrzejewski.

Danielle (Lilo) Allen of Papyrus & Charms, purveyor of necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings, small bags, soaps, bath bombs, bath salts, simple apparel and more.

“The BMO EMpower Grant presents an amazing opportunity for Papyrus & Charms to experience vending at Summerfest without the risk of substantial financial loss. More often than not, small, black-owned business owners don’t have the capital to take on the risk of a venture as large as Summerfest - but this grant creates equity and allows myself and others to experience vending at a professional-level many of us have never been privy to,” said Allen.

Ashley Bester of Scents & Such, creator of scented soy wax container candles, melts, diffusers, and candles accessories like matches, snuffers, wax dippers, wick trimmers.

“This grant money breathes life into my business, which has been personally-funded since its inception. The BMO EMpower grant gives me the ability to earn enough revenue to upgrade mixing equipment, invest in storage, and online marketing. This opportunity is literally life-changing,” said Bester.

Tania Espinoza Bonilla of T for Textile, creator of an array of products that range from home decor, jewelry of various styles, and personal goods. All products are made by using macrame or other fibers, and jewelry includes gold plated metal and stainless steel.

“ Receiving this grant is a lifetime opportunity to create a bigger awareness of my business, sell my products at a much larger scale, and receive sales that can fund my business and me in a more consistent way! This grant money will make my business grow closer to the caliber and size that I want it to achieve,” said Bonilla.

Alaina Landi and Courtney Hellendrung of Vicentia, creators and sellers of upcycled gender-neutral apparel, posters, patches, and postcards that are inspired by women.

“This grant money would be a huge stepping stone towards achieving our mission. With the amount of awareness generated by attending Summerfest, we will be able to spread more stories to exponentially more people than we’ve been able to so far. This will lead to our ultimate goal of helping shift the narrative and achieve equality. The enhancements we can make to our display will last far into the future, giving us the opportunity to showcase our products as we dream to. Finally, the connections we can make at Summerfest will most certainly be priceless. This grant will truly take our business to the next level,” said Landi.

Ashley Donnell of Tribe Btq LLC (The Babe Standard), who offers a variety of accessories including jewelry, hats, and handbags.

“This grant is a huge relief for our business. I have been building our inventory throughout the year. I have recently hired 3 staff members, including our first full-time employee to help us build our events. I am trying to scale our inventory to accommodate our sales goals for the season. Summerfest is the true kickoff of that season and I can’t wait for the show!” said Donnell.

Hamadon Thiocary of Thiocary Fashion, a shop selling African fabric clothing and accessories.

“Because there haven’t been festivals in over a year, I haven’t been able to generate the revenue I need for my business. This grant helps to replace old equipment, such as clothing racks, hangers, tables, lights and more,” said Thiocary.

Staci Blythe of For The Love of Drax, LLC, who offers a variety of hand-made dog accessories including leashes, collars, bow ties, bandanas, and neck ties.

“Receiving the BMO EMpower grant is an opportunity that has truly changed my life as a business owner.”