Paris Hilton launches recovery fund for women business owners after disasters
Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and moreStay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Paris Hilton has launched a new nationwide initiative to support female small-business owners affected by disasters, expanding her philanthropic efforts that began after the devastating Los Angeles fires. The pop culture icon and entrepreneur is personally donating $350,000 to kick-start the Back in Business Recovery Fund, with a goal to raise at least $1 million by the end of March."Women-owned businesses are really the heart of so many of these communities," Hilton told The Associated Press. "I want to be able to lift up and support them, shine a light on them and really make a difference in their lives."The new fund represents a significant partnership between Hilton's social impact organisation, 11:11 Media Impact and GoFundMe.org, the philanthropic arm of the popular fundraising platform, which will contribute $100,000 to the fund’s launch.This initiative builds on a previous successful programme where Hilton and her partners deployed over $1 million in cash grants to 50 women-owned small businesses following the LA fires, which tragically destroyed her own Malibu home. Losing the home where she was raising her young children was "very emotional," Hilton explained, prompting her to consider other mothers who had lost not only their homes but also their livelihoods.The initial grants, up to $25,000, were distributed to owners of diverse businesses such as child care centres, bakeries, bookshops, dance studios, and salons, all damaged by the Eaton fire that ravaged the Altadena community. The funds proved crucial, helping cover rent, payroll, equipment replacement, and rebuilding costs. A year on, an impressive 90 per cent of these grantee businesses remain operational, according to the Pasadena Women's Business Center, which itself received a grant to provide technical assistance and mentorship.Among the beneficiaries was Renata Ortega, who ran her floral design company, Orla Floral Studio, from a converted garage next to her Altadena home. The fires obliterated her house and studio, along with all her floral and event equipment, leaving her uncertain about her business's future.open image in gallery‘I’ve worked very hard to show people that there’s much more to me,’ says the pop culture star (Invision)"Nothing prepares you for that amount of loss," Ortega told The Associated Press. "I didn’t think I was going to be able to get back on my feet because it took me years to be able to come up with the inventory I had." She also worried about her employees and the flower market vendors who relied on her custom.The grant enabled Ortega to pay the deposit on a new studio space and purchase a much-needed floral cooler. Today, Orla Floral is "booked and busy," she said, having retained her staff and planning to hire another employee soon. She credits the grant with much of her recent growth, stating, "It directly went into getting us back into business, but actually back and better than ever." The support also provided a vital motivational boost as she simultaneously faced rebuilding her home and livelihood."You have to keep going and you have keep pushing and fighting forward," Ortega told herself, "because if somebody like Paris Hilton notices your story and thinks you’re important, then you have to believe in yourself and also think that you’re important."Hilton’s engagement extended beyond financial aid; she also supported grantees as a customer, proudly wearing a catsuit from the apparel shop Crop It Like It’s Hot at Coachella and hiring vendors like Carmela Ice Cream and Hot Shrimp Mami for her own events. These personal connections inspired her to "think bigger" about a national initiative, she said, alongside her own experiences as a woman, mother, and entrepreneur."For so much of my career, I’ve been underestimated," said Hilton, a great-grandchild of hotel magnate Conrad N. Hilton. "I’ve worked very hard to show people that there’s much more to me."Despite 14.5 million women-owned businesses in the US, representing a 39 per cent share according to Wells Fargo, women – particularly minority women – receive disproportionately less investment than men through venture capital and loan financing. Rebecca Grone, director of 11:11 Media Impact, noted, "They are the most undercapitalised and underresourced, and particularly if primary caregiving responsibilities are falling on them too, sometimes that leads to increased recovery burden."open image in gallery‘I want to be able to lift up and support them [women owned businesses], shine a light on them and really make a difference in their lives,’ says Hilton (Getty Images)Like the LA programme, the "Back in Business Recovery Fund" will distribute unrestricted grants, partnering with some of the 150 local women’s business centres across the US. Collaborating with these centres will help quickly identify impacted women and provide access not only to cash but also to a supportive community of business owners facing similar challenges, explained Amanda Brown Lierman, executive director of GoFundMe.org. "It’s really key to the success." Decisions on when to activate the fund will also be informed by assessing impacts through these women’s business centres.While the money directly benefits owners, the broader impact targets the entire community, Grone added. Saving businesses protects jobs and tax revenue, but it also preserves the soul of communities, encouraging displaced residents to return home. "You don't want to come back if the community isn't thriving, so as folks are rebuilding their homes, the things that are familiar and make a community feel like home are equally as crucial," she said.A YouTube series titled "Back in Business," highlighting some of the LA business owners, was also released on Monday. "I hope it really inspires others to want to donate and give back," Hilton said.Several of the LA grantees, including Ortega, are set to join Hilton on Monday afternoon to ring the New York Stock Exchange closing bell, marking International Women's Day, which was observed on 8 March. Hilton described it as one of her proudest moments, "showing the power of women when they come together."
