Karen Bailo Karen, Commercial Lines President for Progressive | Facebook.com
Progressive Insurance, in partnership with Hello Alice, has announced the recipients of its 2025 Driving Small Business Forward grant program. A total of $1 million was awarded to 20 small businesses, each receiving $50,000 to purchase a commercial vehicle and support their growth. This initiative is now in its fourth year and has distributed over $2.5 million since its inception.
Karen Bailo, Commercial Lines President at Progressive, emphasized the importance of small businesses: "Small businesses are the driving force of innovation and job creation in our communities." She added that the grant program supports entrepreneurs across the country by providing essential resources.
The U.S. Small Business Administration notes that small businesses make up 99.9% of all American businesses and employ nearly half of the private sector workforce. Since 1995, they have been responsible for more than 61% of net new job creation.
This year's grant recipients come from diverse industries and locations. They were selected based on their plans for using a commercial vehicle to improve business efficiency and community service. Cecile Wright, owner of Neal and Nettie’s Grocery in Houston, Texas, expressed her gratitude: "This grant gives us the tools to take that a step further with our new mobile meat market."
In addition to financial support, recipients will participate in Hello Alice’s Boost Camp, a 12-week business coaching program designed to maximize the impact of their grants through educational resources and expert guidance.
For more details on this year's recipients and their stories, visit https://helloalice.com/grants/progressive/.
Progressive Casualty Insurance Company offers various insurance products including car insurance and home insurance. It is recognized as one of the largest personal auto insurers in the United States.
Information from this article can be found here.
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