New $125K Grant Fuels Social Change Via Women Entrepreneurs

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. – February 17, 2026 – A significant new partnership is set to inject vital capital and resources into the growing ecosystem of women-led businesses. The Boundless Futures Foundation (BFF) today announced it has awarded a $125,000 Her Village grant to Ladies Who Launch (LWL), an international nonprofit dedicated to supporting under-resourced women entrepreneurs.

The collaboration will directly fund LWL's signature Launch Program, providing ten US-based female founders with $10,000 grants to scale their businesses. The initiative underscores a shared commitment to not only bridge the funding gap for women but also to foster enterprises that address pressing social and environmental issues.

"The work that Ladies Who Launch is doing brilliantly aligns with Boundless Futures Foundation's mission to empower and uplift female founders," said Soon Hagerty, co-founder and president of Boundless Futures Foundation. "The Her Village grant is a way for the Foundation to work alongside nonprofits that enhance our efforts in funding and providing mentorship, business coaching and other resources to female founders."

This sentiment of a deeply aligned, mission-driven partnership was echoed by LWL's leadership.

"Ladies Who Launch envisions a world where all women entrepreneurs have access to the resources, education, and community they need to grow and sustain their businesses," stated Sarah Friar, co-founder of Ladies Who Launch. "We are grateful for the support and partnership with Boundless Futures Foundation, which will only strengthen the work both of our organizations are doing to help our community of over 35,000 women founders grow and thrive."

Applications for the 2026 cohort of the Launch Program open today, marking a pivotal opportunity for entrepreneurs ready to make an impact.

Beyond Capital: A New Ecosystem for Female Founders

This partnership highlights a crucial evolution in entrepreneurial support, moving beyond simple capital injections to build a comprehensive ecosystem for success. The $10,000 grants, while substantial, are just one component of the support the ten selected founders will receive through the Ladies Who Launch program.

Drawing from its experience since its founding as a grassroots movement in 2013, LWL has refined its model to include critical capacity-building resources. Past iterations of the Launch Program have included six months of intensive mentorship from industry experts, tailored educational workshops, and access to a vibrant community of peer founders. This holistic approach addresses the multifaceted challenges entrepreneurs face, from strategic planning and marketing to supply chain management and personal resilience.

The commitment to comprehensive support is also a core tenet for the Boundless Futures Foundation. Alongside its Her Village grants for mission-aligned nonprofits, the foundation recently announced a significant expansion of its direct-to-founder EmpowHer grants. Individual grantees are now eligible for up to $50,000, awarded twice a year. In a novel move to foster continuous learning, BFF has also introduced an additional grant of up to $2,500 for founders to pursue professional development opportunities, such as attending industry conferences or enrolling in specialized courses.

This dual focus on financial backing and leadership development from both organizations creates a powerful synergy, ensuring that founders are equipped not just to launch, but to lead and sustain their ventures for long-term impact.

Strategic Philanthropy for Social Change

The collaboration between Boundless Futures and Ladies Who Launch is emblematic of a new frontier in philanthropy, where foundations operate as strategic investors in social change. Founded in late 2023 by Soon and McKeel Hagerty, BFF has a sharply defined mission: to provide financial and leadership support to female entrepreneurs whose businesses solve social issues related to environmental sustainability, poverty, and hunger.

This focus positions the foundation as a key player in the impact investing space, channeling funds toward enterprises that generate both economic value and measurable social good. In a landscape where women-led companies, particularly those founded by women of color, receive a disproportionately small fraction of traditional venture capital, such mission-aligned grant funding is not just helpful—it's essential.

Since its inception just over two years ago, BFF has already deployed more than $1 million in grants to 46 female founders and seven nonprofits, demonstrating a rapid and decisive commitment to its cause. The foundation's model includes providing individual grantees with access to an Advisory Circle, a built-in support network to guide them through their entrepreneurial journey. This strategic approach—combining capital with community and targeted social goals—aims to cultivate a new generation of businesses that are profitable and purposeful.

Unlocking Potential, One Grant at a Time

At the heart of this initiative are the ten women entrepreneurs who will be selected for the 2026 Launch Program. The grant from Boundless Futures signals a powerful relaunch of the program, which LWL's website notes has been undergoing an overhaul. This new funding will invigorate the program, which has a strong track record of identifying and elevating promising businesses.

While the specific eligibility for the 2026 cohort is being announced, previous Launch Programs targeted consumer-packaged goods (CPG) companies with annual revenues between $100,000 and $499,000, seeking founders poised for a significant growth phase. Past recipients have included innovative companies like Free Range Flower Winery and Partake Foods, demonstrating the program's ability to catalyze growth for brands that resonate with modern consumers.

The impact of these grants extends far beyond the individual businesses. BFF maintains a keen focus on measuring the ripple effects of its funding. A recent survey, for instance, examined how a 2025 Her Village grant to the micro-lending platform Kiva is driving job creation. This commitment to data-driven impact assessment ensures that every dollar is maximized for social return on investment.

As applications open for the new cohort, the partnership between Boundless Futures Foundation and Ladies Who Launch stands as a powerful testament to the belief that investing in women entrepreneurs is one of the most effective strategies for building stronger communities and a more equitable, sustainable world.