LONDON – Investors Anna Sweeting and Nancy Twine are ramping up their support for female entrepreneurs with a new $50,000 grant aimed at budding consumer brands across beauty, health and wellness.
Sweeting and Twine have joined forces to launch the Makers Mindset x The Equity Studio Grant, an initiative designed to support and accelerate the growth of early-stage, women entrepreneurs in the consumer space.
The program will award five founders with an equity-free grant of $10,000 each, coupled with strategic mentorship and visibility. Applications open Thursday and close on Oct. 10.
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The inaugural program is open to applicants based in the U.S., with applications available on makersmindset.com/grants.
Sweeting is founder of The Equity Studio, which invests in and offers strategic support to emerging beauty, wellness and lifestyle brands, while Twine is the woman behind Makers Mindset, a platform that offers aspiring founders with business tools, knowledge and a community of like-minded people.
Twine is also the founder and former chief executive officer of Briogeo, a hair care brand that she sold to the Wella Co. in 2022. Although Twine stepped down as company chief earlier this year, she remains active in the business.
Sweeting and Twine said the new program is “rooted in the shared belief that true impact stems from supporting brands with both capital and community.”
They said the aim is to remove barriers that female founders at the earliest stages face, “and fast-track them towards tangible growth, by giving them the capital, tools and amplification they need. All without taking a single share of their business.”
The application process will culminate in a pitch opportunity for finalists. Grantees will receive the cash boost, and will also have access to an expert community that will support them in “growing with purpose,” according to Sweeting and Twine.
“At Makers Mindset, we’re deeply committed to bridging the gaps that women founders face — access, funding and real-world insight,” said Twine.
“This grant is about showing up for the next generation of entrepreneurs in meaningful, tangible ways. Partnering with The Equity Studio allows us to scale that mission and make a lasting imprint on the consumer industry,” she added.
Sweeting said she and Twine “have seen first-hand what female founders need in order to scale with confidence. At The Equity Studio, empowering bold founders and helping brands grow sustainably is at the heart of what we do. Collaborating with Makers Mindset to bring this grant program to life felt completely natural and now, together, we can double down on our impact and amplify underrepresented voices.”
Sweeting and Twine added that the inaugural grant represents “just the beginning of what both Makers Mindset and The Equity Studio envision as a long-term commitment to fueling women-led innovation.”
The two companies said they plan to use the inaugural program “to gather insights, amplify stories, and explore future opportunities for impact at scale. By committing to supporting women-led brands, we are investing not just in today’s female-led companies but in the future of the consumer landscape.”