The damage caused by Helene sparked important conversations among business owners in WNC. With many facing uncertain futures and simultaneously eager to help others, several of Asheville’s women entrepreneurs — Ginger Frank of Poppy Popcorn, Allison Blake and Elisa Van Arnam of SoulKu, and Meg Ragland of Plum Print — joined forces to create the Women Entrepreneurs Asheville Recovery Endeavor, or WE ARE.

As stories of devastated businesses were heard, this group of women entrepreneurs began brainstorming on how they can help. Knowing that many businesses were directly damaged and others dependent on a busy tourist season that would be nearly non-existent in the fall of 2024, they began to realize these small businesses are part of the fabric of what makes Asheville unique. In an effort to support women-owned businesses in the area and help keep them in Asheville, the idea of creating WE ARE quickly came to fruition.

“We aim to not only highlight our area businesses at a time when they need it most and encourage people to come back to Asheville on their next vacation, but to also fund multiple significant grants and provide mentorship to support women whose dreams of business ownership have been disrupted by this tragedy,” said Frank.

WE ARE’s goal is to help resilient women restore what they’ve lost. Partnering with Hatch Innovation Hub, WE ARE is able to offer tax-deductible corporate sponsorships and donations, and has created a raffle full of Asheville-made products, experiences, and stays in an effort to highlight local businesses. 

With the help of donations from a wide variety of local businesses, WE ARE has compiled 12 raffle baskets, many valued at about $2,000, with tickets being sold nationwide for $20 each. Raffle baskets include locally-made and locally-branded items, and offer gift certificates for overnight stays and WNC experiences that, in addition to shining light on local small businesses, will help boost tourism in the months to come.

“It’s unbelievable what local businesses are offering,” Blake said. 

To help with fundraising efforts, WE ARE founders invited members of the business community to participate by becoming founding members. By the end of November, more than 100 business leaders committed to the effort by pledging $500, and more than 65 corporate sponsorships have been received. 

“By helping them get back on their feet, our supporters are contributing to something that will strengthen our entire community,” Van Aram said. “Their support goes beyond financial aid; it's an investment in Asheville's future. When women-owned sustainable small businesses thrive, they create jobs, enrich our neighborhoods, and fuel the unique culture that makes Asheville special.”

Revenue from ticket sales plus funds from corporate sponsorships and donations will be distributed as grants to local women entrepreneurs. Understanding how crucial it is to have funds enabling real financial decisions that can keep a business alive and moving forward, WE ARE’s founders aim to offer 20 grants of $50,000 each. Grants are available to women-owned businesses operating for at least two years and with annual revenues between $50,000 and $5 million. These guidelines aim to support businesses that are well-established in the Asheville area and are woven into the business ecosystem.

“COVID was such a challenging time for many of us,” said Blake. “As business owners are still paying off many of those loans, it is critical to us to be able to write a significant check that someone who is in a very desperate situation feels like they have hope, and that these funds could really put them on the trajectory that they need to be sustainable.”

Learn more at WEAREAsheville.org.