This month Macy’s will welcome 25 business owners to the 2023 class of The Workshop at Macy’s, the retail industry’s longest-running retail accelerator program dedicated to driving growth and providing opportunity to diverse and women-owned retail businesses.

The 2023 class may have a chance to access Macy’s supplier ecosystem, education and funding resources, latest customers through a pop-up shop on macys.com and $250,000 in business grants.

Throughout the month Workshop participants can be given firsthand experience selling their products at scale with a special digital pop-up shop on macy.com. As well as, following The Workshop graduation, participants can be introduced to Macy’s buyers and digital marketplace teams for the chance to onboard as vendors across Macy’s retail ecosystem.

All participants may even have a chance to enter a pitch competition, from which the winning brand will receive a $100,000 business grant, a partnership with Macy’s sourcing team, and other prizes. All participating businesses will receive a $5,000 business grant upon completion of this system.

As a part of Macy’s social purpose platform, Mission Every One, The Workshop at Macy’s is a key a part of the retailer’s commitment to empower underrepresented entrepreneurs. Throughout the month, participants can be immersed in a business development program specializing in constructing brand identity, financial management, assortment planning, perfecting the pitch and securing growth capital, amongst other topics.

“For greater than a decade, The Workshop at Macy’s has represented our ongoing commitment to amplify and uplift underrepresented businesses by providing entrepreneurs with a best-in-class development program,” said Michelle Wang, Macy’s vp, retail diversity strategy. “Through Mission Every One, Macy’s is devoted to reinventing and reimagining representation in retail by providing participants with the tools and resources to excel, and I’m thrilled for this yr’s businesses to experience growth, proceed to develop, and create meaningful connection through The Workshop at Macy’s.”

Brands may even be introduced to S.P.U.R. Pathways: Shared Purpose, Unlimited Reach, a multiyear, multifaceted funding program to advance entrepreneurial growth, close wealth gaps and break down systemic barriers faced by diverse-owned and underrepresented businesses. Launched in late 2022, S.P.U.R. Pathways offers underrepresented businesses access to critical funding, in addition to education resources, constructing a robust supplier ecosystem and helping drive growth, including offering loans for working capital and industrial real estate, and growth equity, all designed to satisfy the needs of diverse-owned and underrepresented businesses at various stages of growth. Through the Workshop’s programming, brands may have a chance to satisfy capital markets professionals, find out about products and apply to this system.

The Workshop at Macy’s is led and designed by a consortium of experts from Macy’s; Babson College in Wellesley Massachusetts; Google, and Meta, amongst others. Since 2011 The Workshop at Macy’s has helped to develop greater than 195 diverse-owned businesses, including Fe Noel, Alex Woo, Verona Collection, Foot Nanny and Twelve NYC.

The 25 corporations that may participate this yr are, in apparel: Besidea, Carlton Jones, Goddess Rising Intimates, Kahindo, Monzlapur, Moxie Fitness Apparel; ObserveMe, and Tony by Tony; in beauty: Bea’s Bayou Skincare, Cardon, DefineMe, Ivyees, Maple Organics, TOA Waters; in Center Core: B.c.e. Custom Shoes, Ms. Jetsetter, Po Campo, The Standard Shoes, and Twelve AM, and in home: Aya & Pete, DomoINK, Rochelle Porter, Surprise Powerz and Wax Buffalo, and youngsters: Nola Tawk.

Applicants to The Workshop should be a lady, or a veteran, or LGBTQ, or of Black, Hispanic, Native American, Asian Indian or Asian Pacific descent. The candidate must even be the bulk owner or co-owner of a longtime U.S.-based business that has produced goods for resale in a department store environment for not less than two consecutive years. As well as, Macy’s seeks leaders who own a business with growth potential and may think critically about their business. Tons of of applicants apply annually. Macy’s executives and course leaders from The Workshop select the category.