New nonprofit awards first round of grants to Greer female entrepreneurs

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A new nonprofit designed to support entrepreneurs and innovators has awarded its first round of grants to two women with a passion for helping others, according to a news release.

Greer Moves announced the recipients at The Platform at Greer’s May Huddle event, the release stated. Occupational therapist, Connie O’Neill, the founder of Big Play in a Box, will receive a $15,000 grant. LaShonn Edmunds, the founder of CAIRS Shoes, will get a $10,000 grant.

Graduates of The Platform’s Bootcamp program are eligible to apply for the grants.

“Both grant recipients have remarkable business ideas that serve worthy causes and inspire us with their potential to make a significant impact,” said Philippe Barreaud of Greer Moves in the release. “By providing seed funding, we are investing in a bright future for entrepreneurship in Greer.”

Big Play in a Box offers subscriptions and gifts for children ages three to eight, according to the release. The boxes are full of carefully curated items and activities that offer a tangible alternative to screens.

O’Neill said becoming part of a community like The Platform at Greer can help make your dreams a reality.

“I have made relationships that have guided me, made me face some hard truths, cheered me on, and almost more importantly have become friends,” O’Neill said in the release. “Thank you, Greer, for making even the smallest of businesses feel big.”

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LaShonn Edmunds has an incurable condition called lymphedema, which causes chronic swelling in her feet, according to the release. She couldn’t find any fashionable shoes on the market that would stretch with her feet, so Edmunds invented shoes that would. CAIRS Shoes officially launched on World Lymphedema Day this spring.

“I am so grateful to be a part of such an incredible business community that cares, supports, and creates solutions each step of the way,” said Edmunds in the release. “Having love and support from other entrepreneurs who’ve been down these roads truly gives me hope and lets me know I’m not on this journey alone.”

BMW, Countybank, and Michelin are sponsors of the Greer Moves initiative.

Kevin Duncan is Countybank’s Greer market executive and a board member of Greer Moves.

“Countybank’s grant donation to The Platform at Greer’s Bootcamp shows our dedication to local entrepreneurs,” said Duncan in the release.. “I have enjoyed being involved with the Bootcamps and have seen firsthand how Countybank’s support and the Platform Launch Package equip startups for success.”