Worcester's Vegan Nest Café Gets $25K Celtics Foundation Grant

WORCESTER, MA — Worcester's Vegan Nest Café was among 12 Black-owned businesses from Massachusetts and Connecticut that received awards this week from the Power Forward Small Business Grant program, a collaboration between the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation, NAACP and Vistaprint.

Here's more from a Celtics foundation press release:

Today, Vistaprint, the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation and NAACP announced the first cohort of recipients from the Power Forward Small Business Grant. This grant is a shared commitment of $1 million between Vistaprint and the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation in partnership with the NAACP designed to create a lasting impact through the economic empowerment of Black-owned small businesses across New England, featuring grants of $25,000 and the opportunity to be featured on national co-branded platforms, as well as receiving design and marketing assistance customized to their specific needs to help their business grow and thrive.

The first group of grant recipients includes 12 small businesses from the Boston metropolitan area, Western Massachusetts, and Connecticut representing a variety of industries including childcare, healthcare, food service, craft brewing and employment services, among others. Recipients of the Power Forward Small Business Grant were notified with surprise virtual visits from Celtics center Tacko Fall, President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens and the team’s beloved mascot, Lucky.

MEET THE RECIPIENTS:

Dianne Austin, Coils to Locs (Dorchester, MA)

Coils to Locs, founded in 2019 by a cancer survivor and natural hair blogger, supports hospital cancer centers and medical hair loss salon’s ability to provide access for all of their clients regardless of hair type by offering contemporary, high quality, coily, curly synthetic wigs. Coils to Locs now has partnerships with 6 hospitals/salons.

Elle Scott, SheChef (Roslindale, MA)

The mission of SheChef, founded in 2013, is to provide mentoring and guidance to young women from urban settings who aspire to be exceptional within the culinary arts.

Karen John Hope, Small Steps Daycare (Lowell, MA)

After being laid-off from her job in the HR industry in 2002, Karen had her second daughter and opened Small Steps Daycare. Small Steps accepts all state-issued vouchers, as well as homeless, DTA, DCF, and teen programs. Small Steps’ ultimate goal is to provide affordable childcare and prepare all children to enroll in kindergarten, while in a safe and healthy learning environment.

Kristen L. Pope, Pope Productions, Inc. (Natick, MA)

Pope Productions, founded in 2014, provides a full-scale experience for all storytelling needs. Pope Productions includes videography, editing, writing and production for short-form storytelling. Pope Productions started the “On-Air Academy” to provide a positive narrative of black people in communities across the country through training, coaching, and placing black journalists in newsrooms. To date, the On-Air Academy has coached and trained more than 300 entry-level and aspiring journalists.

La’Erica Wiliams, The Nurse’s Office Primary Care (Colchester, CT)

The Nurse’s Office, a primary care and walk-in center founded in 2017, provides primary care and walk-in services, including on-site lab work, for acute, non-life-threatening injuries and conditions, including sprains, strains, lacerations (cuts), fevers, colds, flu, other viruses, stomach bugs, and food poisoning.

Nicole Broushet, The Vegan Nest Cafe (Worcester, MA)

The Vegan Nest, founded in 2017, is a collective committed to celebrating a healthy, natural, holistic and compassionate lifestyle. Rooted in biblical principles of gentleness, mercy and love, The Vegan Nest Cafe is passionate about compassion and shares that with its nesters through recipes and services.

Nicole Polite, ManeHire, LLC (East Longmeadow, MA)

ManeHire, founded in 2018, was created with two goals in mind: to make it easier to hire great people and to enable clients to exceed their marketplace goals. ManeHire also offers workshops on soft skills and resume building.

Raymond Berry, White Lion Brewing Company (Springfield, MA)

Seeing growth in the craft beer industry and recognizing the absence of local beer in Springfield, MA, Raymond Berry Jr. founded The White Lion Brewing Company with community in mind in 2014. Today, White Lion is proud to call 1500 Main Street in downtown Springfield its home.

Salimata Bangoura, Yamacu (Natick, MA)

Yamacu is a West African fusion beverage company that offers delicious locally handcrafted fresh ginger drinks.

Tambo Barrow, Bred Gourmet (Boston, MA)

This small burger bar serves gourmet patties & toppings, plus kale drinks, smoothies, salads & more.

Vanessa Mukania, Beraka Juice (Winthrop, MA)

Beraka Juice’s vision is to serve the North Shore of Massachusetts, as there is a scarcity of juice bars in the area and they aim to fill this gap.

Zina Thompson, Zina's Hair Salon (Cambridge, MA)

Zina Hair Salon offers a variety of styling services including hair consultations. Their mission is to provide the highest level of service and educate their clients on how to maintain healthy, beautiful hair.