Foundersgiving: Where Women Entrepreneurs Are the Heroes

Every November, we’re invited to pause and consider what we’re grateful for. But gratitude isn’t just a moment; it’s a mindset. When I stop to consider what I’m grateful for, one thing that stands out is the incredible community of more than 6,000 (and growing!) women entrepreneurs and their supporters that we’ve built at the Enthuse Foundation.

While this is an impressive number, it’s also deeply personal. I see these relationships come to life in unexpected ways: in friendships forged over exhibition booths, in shared advice between strangers, in the willingness to give without expecting anything in return.

When considering the best approach to position the Enthuse Foundation for the traditional end-of-year nonprofit messaging, my mind automatically goes to the traditional verbiage – support the Enthuse Foundation and make a difference in the lives of women entrepreneurs.

Which we encourage you to do.

However, let me take a moment to explain what truly makes the Enthuse Foundation special. It’s the real stories of relationships that are forged among founders and in the many ways, big and small, that they come together to support each other.

In that spirit, I propose a new celebration. Something that speaks to the Enthuse Foundation’s unique value proposition. A gathering rooted in community – Foundersgiving!

Foundersgiving doesn’t have to be a dinner with turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. Instead, it’s rooted in the practice of being there for each other, in showing up and taking time away from your business to help a fellow founder, in generously sharing information and resources, or just being there to listen when another entrepreneur is having a hard day.

I’d like to share four examples of Foundersgiving in action at the 2025 Pitch Competition. For a full recap of the event, click here.

A Match Made on Long Island Thanks to the Enthuse Foundation

Jill Weissman, founder of Beyond the Bib, and Kimberle Lau, founder of Bake Me Healthy, met at the 2023 Enthuse Foundation Pitch Competition. They were assigned tables next to each other at the marketplace.

It turns out that they both live on Long Island. They became fast friends, sharing ideas, giving recommendations, and lending a sympathetic ear.

Fast forward to the 2025 Enthuse Foundation Pitch Competition, where Kimberle was a finalist (and eventual runner-up, winning $10,000) and Jill was on a panel discussing her $10,000 grant from Amazon and the Enthuse Foundation.

I wish I could tell the 2023 versions of themselves what would be in store for them two years later.

Founders Supporting Founders

From past winners like Claire Matern of JONI and Suzanne Sinatra of Private Packs, to NYC-based entrepreneurs such as Bridget Firtle of ROCKAWAY SODA, Sierra Hooshari of Brain POP, Stephanie Berwick of Pastazerts, Joyce Friedmann of Joyffles, and entrepreneurs around the country like Stephanie Kriebel of OMG! Pretzels, the startup community showed up to cheer on their peers.

There was no jealousy. No ego. Just unconditional support and encouragement.

Passing the Baton

Brigette Polmar, an extraordinary event producer and founder of Brand Spoken, generously donates her time every year to help with the Enthuse Foundation Pitch Competition. This year, she had the brilliant idea to have past winners virtually introduce the 2025 finalists. Thank you to Ashley Nickelsen of BTR Nation, Arion Long of Femly, Morgan Murdock of Unbothered Foods, Hilary Cocalis of Sipwell Wines, and Regina Trillo of Nemi Snacks, who gave their time to record the videos.

It was a truly special moment and a poignant reminder of the Enthuse Foundation Pitch Competition’s legacy. There are now 36 brands that were finalists and 17 winners (including audience choice).

You could fill three Thanksgiving tables just with Pitch Competition finalists.

A Gift Bag with Real Swag

And perhaps, my favorite of all – how our previous finalists and grant winners leaped at the chance to do something to welcome this year’s finalists into the Enthuse Foundation community.

As a self-proclaimed swag bag lover, I wanted to share my joy with this year’s finalists and showcase our Capsule Collection tote bags. Then I thought, “What if we could fill this gift bag with products from our community members?”

I put out the call, and the response was immediate and overwhelming. Twelve brands immediately stepped up to donate products for the gift bag. I still don’t have the right words to convey the kindness that was shown.

Thank you to Rooted Fare, Josephine’s Baking Co., JONI, SAYSO, Carolyn’s Krisps, Unbothered Foods, In the Kitchen with Alexandra, Kendra Scott SoHo, Blue Henry, Popadelics, and Nemi Snacks for sending gifts. Additionally, Ashley Sankar, founder of NineteenTwenty and a 2023 finalist, insisted on donating five of her popular Parka Mid jackets, along with branded socks.

All these women took time out of their busy schedules to donate their products to the next generation of Enthuse Foundation founders. Without hesitation. No strings attached.

They were there for the 2025 Pitch Competition finalists – because the Enthuse Foundation was there for them.

Bottom Line: All these examples demonstrate why the Enthuse Foundation stands out. And during this time of year, I challenge you to reflect on your own founder community. Who could you give a little bit of love or encouragement to? Because ultimately that’s what Foundersgiving is all about. And, if you’d like to make a donation to the Enthuse Foundation to support our ongoing work, we welcome you to do so here.