Local businesswoman chosen as part of Fifth Women’s Economic Mobility Hub Cohort | Photos & Videos

Malvern businesswoman Kendalynn Bolton, owner of KB’s Love By the Pound and More, has been announced as part of the fifth cohort of the Women’s Economic Mobility Hub (WEM Hub).

The six-month program, made possible through the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas’ (WFA Women Empowered initiative, supports Black women-owned businesses by providing technical assistance and additional resources, including $5,000 in unrestricted grant funds, to help scale their businesses.

Since the WFA launched the WEM Hub initiative in 2021, the organization has invested a total of $250,000 to support 50 businesses owned by Black women across the state.

 “It is our distinct honor to announce the 10 phenomenal Black women that comprise the fifth WEM Hub cohort,” said Anna Beth Gorman, CEO of the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas. “Over the next six months, these talented entrepreneurs will acquire new skills and resources, and build the networks they need to help their businesses thrive for years to come. The WFA team and our partners are excited to welcome this year’s participants and embark on this professional journey with them.”

The 10 women in this year’s cohort own businesses spanning a variety of industries and services and representing four Arkansas cities. The entire 2024 WEM Hub cohort includes the following women:

Lillian West of Bear Fruit Direct Primary Care in Little Rock

Tammy Johnson of Brooklyn’s The Bridge to Learning Childcare Center in Pine Bluff

Dequita Crockett of DLT Trust Inc. in Little Rock

Allicia Talbert of Talbert Lawn Service LLC in Little Rock

Cozetta Jones of CocoBee Honey in North Little Rock

Bridgette Harris of Plexi & Company in Pine Bluff

Vianca Armstrong-Jordan of LIT & FIT, LLC in North Little Rock

Adrian Jones of QuinTEEsential Designs, LLC in North Little Rock

Kendalynn Bolton of KB’s Love by the Pound and More, LLC in Malvern

LaTisha Brunson of Styleinvy Boutique, LLC in Pine Bluff

The 10 WEM Hub cohort members will receive technical assistance through a variety of in-person and online trainings and meetings designed to provide a comprehensive support system for Black women entrepreneurs.

The curriculum will include: expert advice from industry professionals in accounting and financial management, business development and legal services; peer-to-peer learning sessions; communications, public relations and marketing training; leadership skills development; and relationship-building opportunities with participating financial institutions.

Cohort members will also receive ongoing mentorship support and counsel and $5,000 in unrestricted grant funding to help grow their businesses.  

Bolton has already received her grant award and said she used the funds to purchase some new and much-needed equipment and hire an accountant/bookkeeper to assist with the finance side of things, so she can better focus on giving her customers “Love in Every Bite” through her amazing cakes, cupcakes and cookies.

To learn more about Bolton’s delicious treats and spectacular cake designs, all created with impressive culinary skill and lots of love, visit the “KB’s Love By the Pound and More” Facebook page or go to kbdiditforlove.com, where you can peruse the various options and easily place an order.

WEM Hub is supported by individual donors and organizations who are deeply invested in this mission, including AT&T, Bank of America, Entergy Arkansas, U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo and Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, and others. For more information about the WEM Hub and other WFA initiatives, visit womensfoundationarkansas.org.

About the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas

Founded in 1998, the mission of the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas (WFA) is to ensure economic security for Arkansas women and girls through collaboration and focused philanthropic investment. Through grant making, research, and the Girls of Promise® and Women Empowered initiatives, the WFA is investing in real solutions that allow women and girls to move up the economic ladder and reach their fullest potential. The WFA is the only statewide foundation that focuses solely on women and girls in Arkansas. Learn more at womensfoundationarkansas.org.