Latest news with #SmallBusinessHero
Eater
2 days ago
- Business
- Eater
Both People and Plants Are Thriving at This Santa Cruz Garden
Darrie Ganzhorn was just eight years old when she realized the world was unfair, and most people weren't doing anything to change it. Now, at 67, she's been named a 2025 Small Business Hero by Intuit QuickBooks and Mailchimp. Raised in Baltimore, Ganzhorn attended a private Catholic school in a wealthy neighborhood. There, she saw firsthand the disparity between those who were privileged and those less fortunate. 'I was raised with the whole idea of treating others how you want to be treated. And it seemed like there was a real disconnect between what people were saying and what they were doing. That really bothered me.' Decades later, Ganzhorn was living on the West Coast, and discovered a way to be one of the people doing something about inequity. The Berkeley grad was interning at the Resource Center for Nonviolence when she heard about a nonprofit called the Homeless Garden Project. She started volunteering at the project in 1991 — today Ganzhorn is the executive director. At the pioneering Santa Cruz non-profit, unhoused people create new lives through job training, transitional employment, and support services at Natural Bridges Farm. There, they grow seasonal produce like strawberries, kale, and pumpkins, then sell them at a retail store stocked with artisanal products like lavender soap, herbal sleep tea, and beeswax candles. Homeless Garden Project was awarded a $20,000 grant and named a 2025 Small Business Hero by Intuit QuickBooks and Mailchimp because of the profound positive impact it has had on its community. The award was granted to the Homeless Garden Project this May as part of a new grant program that recognizes small businesses who go above and beyond for their communities, the Intuit QuickBooks and Mailchimp Small Business Hero Program. Through this program, the public can nominate small businesses in their own communities to win a grant and additional business resources, with a new group of inspiring businesses awarded on a quarterly basis. Santa Cruz has a history of activism. In the mid-eighties, a professor at the University of California Santa Cruz, Paul Lee, was inspired by a group of people who went on a hunger strike to protest the fact that there was no homeless shelter in Santa Cruz. The strike spurred Lee to team up with a group of friends and ministers to form the Citizens Committee for the Homeless, now known as Housing Matters — and open the county's first homeless shelter in 1985. In 1990, when a friend closed their herb nursery and offered Lee hundreds of free baby plants, he knew it was time to start a garden for the homeless. Alongside his friend Lynne Basehore Cooper, a local restaurateur, he launched the Pelton Avenue garden. In 1991, they expanded to a site near Natural Bridges State Beach, which is now the main site for the Homeless Garden Project. Today, Ganzhorn says the nonprofit focuses on providing real work experience. Trainees spend a year strengthening applicable skills like communication, conflict resolution, teamwork, professionalism, and time management. Check-ins with their manager and weekly meetings with a social worker ensure that they're making progress on their personal goals. Over the past 10 years, Ganzhorn says 88 percent of trainees have found housing, no small feat in Santa Cruz, which has a cost of living that's 80.6 percent higher than the national average. After their year of training, 95 percent of graduates have secured steady jobs. 'They felt a lot of gratitude for how their lives had been transformed,' Ganzhorn says. 'I've heard some of our trainees say, 'As the plants are growing, I'm also growing.'' Ganzhorn recently ran into a former trainee who's thriving and working at Housing Matters, a nonprofit providing shelter services. 'He got a second job working as a roadie kind of, doing sound and band work whenever there's a show. And he said, 'That's my passion and I'm so excited to be doing it,'' Ganzhorn says. 'And there are countless people out in the community who I think would say something similar, that their time here was really impactful.' The $20,000 grant will help fund 68 subscription boxes in their Feed Two Birds program, which provides fresh produce to people in the community who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford it. Their ultimate goal is to raise a total of $70,000 to ensure that 238 families have access to fresh, nutritious food, spread across ten boxes. Ganzhorn says it's taken time to reach the level of impact they now have, and she advises other nonprofits to expand carefully. 'We've always started very small and built on our successes,' Ganzhorn says. 'We looked at things that weren't working and let go of them.' For Ganzhorn, building a strong and committed team of employees and community volunteers is key. 'We have a good team, strong board, and good delegation,' Ganzhorn says. 'There are sometimes surprises or unexpected events… we work hard to be adaptable and resilient.' At times, the hours are long. But Ganzhorn says she feels lucky. 'I feel like I found the job I was made for,' she says. 'This is the work I was called to do.' NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Sponsored by Intuit. Legal residents of the 50 US (D.C.), 18+ can nominate Businesses that are located and operate in the 50 US (D.C.). Void where prohibited. Enter Contest by 5/15/26. Terms and Conditions Apply. See Official Rules for all business eligibility requirements, phase dates, and entry details, at .
Entrepreneur
22-05-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
WNBA Legend Lisa Leslie on Building Legacy Beyond the Game
The Hall of Famer and businesswoman teamed up with Intuit QuickBooks and Mailchimp to celebrate Small Business Hero Day, which highlights entrepreneurs like her who are building lasting legacies through purpose and community impact. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. The WNBA in 2025 is a cultural force, with names like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese becoming household staples among sports fans across the country and beyond. None of that would be possible without pioneers of the game like Lisa Leslie, who joined the league in its infancy in 1997 and helped the women's game reach new heights — literally. Related: Inside BODYARMOR's 'Choose Better' Rebrand A platform with purpose Leslie's resume speaks for itself. Aside from being the first WNBA player to dunk in a game, she won two WNBA championships, four Olympic gold medals and three MVPs. Off the court, she turned that success into major endorsement deals with brands like Kraft Foods and Gatorade. After retiring, she stayed close to the game, earning an MBA, becoming part-owner of the Sparks (since sold) and coaching the BIG3's Triplets to a championship in 2019. Now, 16 years after hanging up her jersey, she's partnering with Intuit QuickBooks and Mailchimp to give back, this time by supporting small business owners. On April 25, the WNBA legend made a surprise appearance at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles to celebrate Small Business Hero Day, hosted by Intuit QuickBooks and Mailchimp. She presented $20,000 checks to three national small businesses — Perry's Joint, BJ's Nevada Barbeque and the Homeless Garden Project — in recognition of their impact in their communities. The event also marked the launch of Intuit's expanded Small Business Hero Program, spotlighting more small businesses making a difference throughout the year. As part of a lineage of business owners, Leslie understands the vital role small businesses play in their communities. When she was young, her mom quit her job to start her own trucking business in order to support the family. Her uncle started a celebrity bodyguard company after injuries cut short his college football career. Two of her other Uncles started their own accounting firm, which many of her cousins have worked for at some point. "Small businesses are often family-run, meaning they're people working to support their families or give back to their communities," she says. "I deeply identify with both small businesses and family—that's why I love this work." Related: WNBA President Lisa Borders Shares Why She Believes 'Failure Is Not Fatal, It's Feedback' Above the rim and beyond While every athlete grinds toward a goal, most at least know what they're chasing. That wasn't the case for Lisa Leslie. She graduated from the University of Southern California three years before the WNBA even existed, leaving her future on the court uncertain. "Our focus had to be on what's next," she says. "It wasn't just about being a basketball player. My mindset was always, 'How am I going to make money? How can I be an entrepreneur? How can I be self-employed?" That entrepreneurial instinct came from watching her mom and uncles build businesses of their own, and it motivated her to search for something she could pour herself into outside of basketball. Leslie always knew she wanted to pursue modeling, eventually signing with Wilhelmina before heading overseas to play professionally in Italy. After her playing days, she leaned into a new set of ventures — launching an athlete-focused real estate firm, Aston Rose, and discovering a passion for public speaking. "I don't think about it in terms of money," she says. "For me, it's about building community, making an impact and inspiring others. It just feels natural to do the things I love. Basketball gave me the platform to do that, and opened the door to so much more." Today, WNBA players are seen as brands in their own right, and Leslie was ahead of the curve. She carved out a multifaceted career, balancing basketball, modeling, broadcasting and even acting long before it was common to do so. "I see that same drive in the young women today," she says. "Back when my colleagues and I were starting out, we had to do a lot just to build the league. A lot of it was unpaid — you just showed up, gave your all and hoped it would lead to something down the line. And now? This is the future we were working toward. Today's players are reaping the benefits."
