Ty Baisden, co-founder of the creative/business partnership company COLTURE, is announcing the launch of the firm’s Empower U Grant, dedicated to uplifting and supporting women entrepreneurs from underserved communities. Kicking off this year, the annual Women’s History Month initiative will select five women-led ventures to receive $10,000 grants and 12 months of mentorship to help grow or scale their businesses and empower them to create sustainable positive change in their communities.
Nonprofit organization COLTURE Cares will oversee the program via COLTURE Holdings.
The 2025 Empower U Grant submission window opens today, March 3 (noon PT/3 p.m. ET) and will close on March 5 (noon PT/3 p.m. ET). Honorees will be announced on March 31.
Baisden, who is also COLTURE’s head of ventures and innovation, says, “My mission to support women-led businesses is something I take very seriously. The year-round goal with Empower U is to pull together even more resources that we can expose these business owners to that they didn’t even realize were available.”
Baisden was honored in 2024 as Billboard’s Indie Power Players executive of the year.
In addition to Baisden, the executive team at COLTURE Holdings includes Jayne Andrew, co-founder/head of creative services; Paris Kirk, partner/head of publishing & lifestyle marketing; Jennair Rennie, head of finance & accounting; and Phylicia Goings, head of operations.
The Empower U Grant was inspired by Baisden and independent artist Brent Faiyaz’s joint collaboration, the Show You Off grant. Over the last four years, that program has donated more than $400,000 to women-helmed businesses.
Beyond establishing the annual Empower U Grant, COLTURE also hosts an annual women’s wellness retreat under its Mirrors Wellness Club division. Inaugurated on Labor Day weekend 2022 in St. Maartin with 19 invitees, the Mirrors Getaway 2024 retreat welcomed 39 executives and entrepreneurs to Ambergris Cay in Turks & Caicos to recalibrate and focus on themselves.
L-R: Jennair Rennie, Jayne Andrew, Paris Kirk, Ty Baisden, Phylicia Goings
Allen Daniel
