Nav Awards $10,000 Small Business Grant to English for a Lifetime
Reflecting Nav’s overall mission to elevate small businesses, Nav’s Small Business Grant will help both the grant winner, English for a Lifetime, expand its classroom offerings and runner-up, Burst of Life, expand its inventory.
SALT LAKE CITY, Aug. 02, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nav Technologies, Inc. (“Nav”), a simple and intelligent financing platform for small businesses, announced today English for a Lifetime as the latest recipient of Nav’s $10,000 Small Business Grant program. English for a Lifetime aims to help immigrant communities master the English language for personal, workforce, and career development purposes. Founded and operated by Dr. Joel Floyd, English for a Lifetime will use this grant to establish a computer lab in its new location, purchase classroom furniture, and hire a lead teacher and community marketing agent.
“Our mission at Nav is to reduce the death rate for small businesses, which are the backbone of our economy. At a time when inflation and interest rates continue to increase, we hope that our Small Business Grant can help boost these small businesses,” said Greg Ott, Nav CEO. “It’s an honor to help small business owners, like Dr. Floyd with English for a Lifetime, continue to grow their businesses and improve their communities. We look forward to seeing how English for a Lifetime will help adults become lifelong learners in English and enrich the Atlanta area.”
Founded in February 2012, English for a Lifetime provides English lessons to all students, regardless of educational background or social status. It operates in two locations in the greater Atlanta area in Georgia. With a doctorate in educational leadership, Dr. Floyd integrates critical pedagogy into his teaching methods to establish agency so students are prepared for any situation in American society.
“Owning my own business has given me the freedom to be as innovative as I can be, and I truly believe this is a dream realized. I started English for a Lifetime with the belief that learning is a continuous process and to help all students, regardless of their status. We must teach them to be lifelong learners,” said Dr. Joel Floyd, founding principal and president of English for a Lifetime. “English for a Lifetime began 10 years ago with $500, and has since grown to two locations in Peachtree Corners and Roswell, with nine contract employees. Nav’s grant will only bring further growth by providing us access to the tools needed to continue fulfilling our mission.”
Nav also awarded a runner-up prize of $5,000 to Burst of Life, a Detroit business that provides wholesale distribution. Burst of Life was founded by veteran Jarriel Brown in February 2020 to create opportunities and uplift those in need. He plans to use this grant to increase inventory of compostable utensils and new variations of packaging to provide for its growing number of customers.
“I launched Burst of Life right before the start of the pandemic with money I made from my job as an IT technician. While it has been challenging, there has been no limit to how much I can grow my own business. It is both humbling and exciting to watch something I created offer opportunities — or bring new life — for others in need,” said Jarriel Brown. “This small business grant will allow me to actualize my professional and financial goals, as I hope to one day bring our products to major retail stores.”
Nav understands the difficulties that SMBs face when it comes to business financing, and in response created the Nav Small Business Grant in 2018 to help small business owners overcome obstacles they experience when trying to access the capital they need to build and maintain their businesses. Nav has awarded $215,000 to small businesses across the country, helping to reduce the death rate of small businesses and make business financing simple. Learn more about the grant and how to apply here.
About Nav
Nav is the largest marketplace of curated financial products for small businesses. By using real business data and proprietary scoring, Nav gives small businesses more transparency in finding the right loan or credit card option. Nav offers a unique, financial health dashboard showing credit and cash flow insights alongside recommended financing options. Nav’s platform also seamlessly integrates within other software and websites, making it the leading embedded finance solution for SMBs. Goldman Sachs Principal Strategic Investment led Nav’s Series C round in 2019, in which Nav raised $44.8 million in equity capital.
Nav Contact
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