A New Baltimore entrepreneur has been awarded a $12,500 grant from Olga’s Kitchen to expand her equestrian apparel brand.
Shelly Watts, founder of Muirneen Equestrian, is one of four recipients of the grant awarded by Olga’s Kitchen to woman-owned, Michigan-based entrepreneurs through the Olga Loizon Memorial Foundation. Grants were also awarded to DA BOMB TACO, No Fear Cafe and Welcome Home Yoga.
“We were absolutely blown away by the amount of quality, deserving applicants we received this year and are thrilled to provide grants to four women entrepreneurs to take their businesses to the next level,” said Loredana Gianino, president of the Olga Loizon Memorial Foundation, in a news release.
Watts founded the inclusive riding clothing brand after she became discouraged when shopping for riding clothing with her Asian-American daughter because there was no diversity and size inclusivity in equestrian apparel for women.
Recognizing a need for diverse representation and plus-size options, Watts founded Muirneen Equestrian with no clothing, fashion, manufacturing or sewing experience. Overcoming many obstacles, the launch of her business was a success with $30,000 in sales in its first year.
Muirneen Equestrian plans to use the grant funds from Olga’s Kitchen to upgrade to formal riding apparel and continue to capture diverse photography for marketing and advertising, and launch their next clothing line.
A pioneer for women in business, Olga Loizon overcame countless obstacles — including being refused a loan from her bank simply because she was a woman — to create one of metro Detroit’s most iconic restaurant concepts. TEAM Schostak Family Restaurants and Olga’s Kitchen founded the Olga Loizon Memorial Foundation in her honor to provide annual grants to aspiring women entrepreneurs who exemplify the same passion, ambition and vision.
“Olga’s Kitchen founder Olga Loizon was a female trailblazer who approached building her business with heart, with innovation and persistence fueling her to make an impact on the community,” Gianino said. “These grant recipients are focused on meeting real, tangible community needs, embodying Olga’s spirit. We look forward to seeing how these grants will fuel the growth and success of these businesses and supporting their journey.”
Olga’s Kitchen is owned and operated by Livonia-based TEAM Schostak Family Restaurants.
For more information about Muirneen Equestrian, visit muirneen.com.
