LISC + Lowe’s Small Business Relief Grant Recipients Kersti Pitre And Alicia Culbertson Tell Their Stories
5.24.2021
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LISC StoriesEconomic Development
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating financial impact on small businesses owned by women and people of color, who already faced limited access to financing and resources. The LISC + Lowe’s Small Business Relief Grant provided emergency funding that these businesses desperately needed to survive.
Pitre Co is a hair products company born out of a desire to teach women how to be self-sufficient when it comes to their self-care.
Kersti Pitre, the owner of Pitre Co, grew up in Compton, where she went through various experiences such as sexual abuse, homelessness, and dropping out of high school, which drove her to want to be self-reliant. This desire led her to start a YouTube channel that helps the community by teaching thousands of women and young girls how to braid their hair and which products they should use. Eventually, with her husband, family, and church members' support, she thought of launching her business.
Kersti Pitre had planned to launch her business in March 2020, but she had to reschedule due to the pandemic. She also didn't have enough money to buy and ship the inventory she needed. However, she was still able to launch the business in two weeks with her first accessory items and then proceed with the remaining she intended to sell to her customers.
During the pandemic, Pitre Co's learned that most of their customers were at home learning new skills, saving money, and preparing for when things return to normal. Viewing this as an opportunity to shine, Kersti got into the e-commerce world and started offering her products to customers who were learning how to do their hair and those who just wanted to practice self-care. She also priced the products at an affordable price that wouldn't put more of a strain on her customers' budget.
Still, even after adjusting her operation and services accordingly, Kersti felt the pinch caused by the pandemic. Just like many small business owners, she struggled with finding capital, high shipping prices from overseas distributors, and not being able to sell her products in person. She also faced challenges with getting approval for grants and loans and receiving mentorship from companies in the beauty enterprise.
That's why Kersti was always looking for ways to keep her struggling new business afloat--and the LISC + Lowe’s Small Business Relief Grant could not have come at a better time. The grant was a result of a partnership between LISC and Lowe’s in an effort to help small business owners meet their most urgent needs.
As a recipient, Kersti Pitre got a $20K grant which helped her buy inventory and keep her business operations going.
Now, Pitre Co can continue its day-to-day operations of selling high-quality hair products to women and girls and teaching them to be self-reliant.
"For me, this grant was a confirmation for me to continue with my dreams of owning and operating my own company," Kersti Pitre said.
Stare Fashion is another beneficiary of the LISC + Lowe’s Small Business Relief Grant. Located in Los Angeles, the women’s clothing store provides “hot, contemporary, and trendy” outfits for the fashion-conscious woman.
The store owner, Alicia Culbertson, is an ambitious entrepreneur who has been in business since 2008.
Her desire to help and provide opportunities for others in the community while also growing professionally led her to establish Stare Fashion, which now employs a small team of young people from the community.
The COVID-19 crisis has left a lot of businesses in financial turmoil, especially in the fashion industry. Stare Fashion was forced to close temporarily at one point and also struggled with inventory, delayed shipping services, and maintaining employee payroll.
Although she had adjusted the store’s operations and services quite effectively by increasing some product availability on the store’s website and adding face masks to their product line up, they still faced financial hardships.
That’s why Alicia was excited when she received the LISC + Lowe’s Small Business Relief Grant. She was able to use the funds to pay her staff and continue helping her community.
“Receiving this grant made me feel hopeful,” she said. Her wish is to continue to be an inspiration to other minority and women entrepreneurs and show them that with dedication and perseverance, their businesses can thrive even during the pandemic.
Small businesses play a vital role in promoting the growth of the local economy. They also provide employment opportunities. By supporting small businesses owned by women and people of color, we are bridging the financial gap and keeping small businesses open.
