Our Impact
Measuring the tangible growth of our ecosystem in Year One.
Financial Investment
7 Core Grantees
Received $83,000 in direct funding to scale their businesses.
40 Businesses
Supported with $40,000 in rapid response funds after wildfire impacts.
300+ Hours
Of tailored technical assistance delivered, valued at $91,000.
Community Growth
Community Members Engaged
Businesses Supported
Major Workshops Hosted
Executive Summary
In our first year, The Wild Seed Collective proved that capital, capacity, and community together can seed not just businesses, but ecosystems.
Through the generous support of LA County's Care First, Community Investment initiative, we invested $93,000 directly into women-of-color-led businesses through core and rapid response grants. We paired that with $91,000 in technical assistance delivered across 7 grantees and 3 workshops, equipping founders with the tools, systems, and stories they needed to grow.
Beyond the numbers, Year One was about momentum. Grantees launched mentorship programs, activated community spaces, built operational systems, and carried forward stories that affirm why women's leadership matters. We expanded beyond funding alone, supporting 50+ businesses through workshops, technical assistance, a retreat, and network connections, and we grew a community of 447 members united by care, resilience, and vision.
This is what equity in action looks like: resources moved quickly, systems strengthened, stories told authentically, and communities thriving because women founders were trusted to lead.
Looking Ahead: 3-Year Investment
This three-year investment by Care First, Community Investment (CFCI) will transform the landscape for women-of-color-owned businesses in Los Angeles.
Total Grant Funds
Direct investment in woman-of-color owned businesses
Technical Assistance
Capacity building and strategic support
Leveraged Funding
Additional support from aligned funders
Strategic Leadership & Partnerships
The Wild Seed is not a single program, but an infrastructure built by women-of-color-led agencies working in concert to make transformation possible.
Beyond our founders, The Wild Seed activated partnerships with Care First Community Investment, Umoja Food Collective, Bet Tzedek, Public Counsel, Foli Digital, Aluxe Agency, Latino Community Foundation, Community Partners, Normandie Church of Christ, Manual Arts High School, and Amity Foundation to expand the ecosystem.
These collaborations allowed us to bring legal expertise, educational resources, community connections, and additional funding into the work — ensuring that our grantees were supported not just by us, but by a wider network of allies.
"The collaboration started from the very beginning… we each respected the craft of the others and recognized the unique gaps we could fill."
— Morgan Paden, Morganite Writing Company
At the heart of our success lies this leadership model: each founding agency has its own thriving business, and together we create outcomes larger than the sum of our parts. For future funders and collaborators, investing in The Wild Seed means investing in a proven model — and in the women-of-color-led agencies behind it.