Annual Recipients of Up & Running Grants Unveiled at our Brand Name Event

In a significant move to boost small businesses, eBay, a global commerce leader, announced the recipients of its sixth annual Up & Running Grants program. The program, which received thousands of applications, awarded $500,000 in grants and resources to help 50 small businesses scale their operations and impact.

Dawn Block and Rebecca Michals, VP and General Manager, and Director of Seller Engagement and Community at Open, announced the recipients. These 50 sellers, hailing from over 25 U.S. states, each received a $10,000 grant, along with business training, mentorship, and additional resources to help grow their businesses.

Among the recipients were Adam Robarge from Dabarge Golf, Alore Arrington of Der Rittmeister Militaria, Angela Pelky of Second Summit Sneakers, and Tanya Mahrous and Toby Tobias, co-founders of Second Life Thrift Store in Avondale Estates, GA.

Second Life Thrift Store, a nonprofit thrift store supporting animal rescue, pivoted to Open during the pandemic and saw growth and long-term sustainability. The store was highlighted as one of the grantees.

eBay, listed on Nasdaq as EBAY, connects millions of buyers and sellers in over 190 markets. The company's global portfolio of online brands includes Open, where every item sold helps fund life-saving animal care.

Hello Alice, a financial technology platform, also played a crucial role in supporting small businesses. Serving more than 1.5 million small business owners across all 50 states, Hello Alice partners with enterprise service providers, ecosystem builders, affiliates, and government agencies to equip small businesses with necessary resources.

In addition to grants, Hello Alice offers education, tools, and curated opportunities to help small businesses launch and scale. Previous years' grant recipients, including Yinka Ogunsunlade (2020), Alex Carrera (2021), Michelle Nguyen (2022), Kirsti Renwell (2023), and Jonathan Copeland (2024), returned to celebrate this year's grantees.

eBay was founded in 1995 in San Jose, California, and has since grown to be one of the world's largest and most vibrant marketplaces. More information about eBay can be found at our website. For more information about Hello Alice, visit www.helloalice.com or follow them on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.