Synchrony, the consumer financial-services company, has announced 21 winners of the Synchrony Pillars Project Grants, including 11 retail operations.
Synchrony’s small-business grant program, launched in 2016, honors entrepreneurial retail owners and health-and-wellness providers “who have risen above in times of change.” This year, the company will help small businesses address digital transformation through a total of $210,000 in grant awards. Each grant recipient receives $10,000 as well as consulting services from Synchrony experts to expand the digital transformation of their business.
This year’s Synchrony’s Pillars Project increased its focus on digital transformation for small businesses facing these challenges. A recent survey found small businesses that are leading in digital transformation saw eight times the revenue growth of small businesses in the earliest stages of their digital efforts, Synchrony notes. The Pillars Project grants are designed to help the winning small businesses and healthcare providers advance their digital competitiveness through transformational projects, including:
- Increasing their digital capabilities by enhancing website and mobile experiences, search engine optimization, digital marketing and social media content;
- Updating technology including mobile devices, cybersecurity software, company-based apps, and wireless connections; and
- Driving brand awareness and enhancing marketing.
“Supporting small businesses is foundational to Synchrony’s commitment to helping partners grow,” says Michael Bopp, Synchrony EVP and chief growth officer. “With these funds and our experts giving time and talent, small businesses will have the opportunity to accelerate their growth and digital transformation.”
Synchrony chose the winners of this year’s grants from more than 500 applicants.
Retail Solutions winners included:
- Anne Perella, A&J Sewing Studio, Morgantown, West Virginia
- Dan Adam, Adam and Son Auto Repair and Service, Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Alejandro Carvajal and Melissa Perez Cervantes, Carvajal A/C Mechanical Corp, Miami, Florida
- Luis Valdez, Dezier Air LLC, New York, New York
- Richard DeVries, East Port Marina, Alpine, Tennessee
- Tamela Forest, Forest Air, LLC, Laplace, Louisiana
- Lee Ann Naghtin, Herb Hays Furniture, Hopkinsville, Kentucky
- Catherine Buchanan, Independent Carpet One, Westland, Michigan
- Sylvie Tsirigotis, Park Jewelers, Lake Mary, Florida
- Trisha Larsen, Pedego Electric Bikes Stony Brook, East Setauket, New York
- Jim Heim, Tuffy Auto Repair of Rockford, Loves Park, Illinois
For a list of the Health and Wellness winners, as well as detailed information on all the 2022 Synchrony Pillars Project Grant recipients, click here.
By the end of 2022, Synchrony notes, it will have made Pillars Project grants to more than 80 small businesses and providers across the United States chosen from more than 4,500 applications, with nearly 100 of Synchrony’s top experts delivering pro-bono services and grants valued at more than $850,000.
