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Progressive Insurance Announces 2025 Driving Small Business Forward Grant Recipients


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This article was originally published on progressive.mediaroom.com.


20 recipients will receive $50,000 each toward the purchase of a commercial vehicle


Mayfield Village, OH, September 15, 2025 — Progressive Insurance, in cooperation with Hello Alice announced the 20 recipients of the 2025 Driving Small Business Forward grant program.


The program awarded a total of $1 million, where each recipient will receive $50,000 to invest in the purchase of a commercial vehicle and foster their business growth.


This marks the fourth consecutive year of the grant program, bringing the total funding distributed through the program to over $2.5 million. The initiative highlights Progressive's desire to address the critical challenges small businesses face in accessing capital, enabling them to enhance operations and expand their reach.


“Small businesses are the driving force of innovation and job creation in our communities," said Karen Bailo, Commercial Lines President at Progressive. "Through the Driving Small Business Forward grant program, we are proud to provide support to entrepreneurs across the country to ensure they can acquire the essential resources they need to thrive.”


According to the Small Business Administration, 99.9% of all businesses are considered small, making them a vital employment force in the U.S. Small businesses employ 45.9% of American private sector workers and have accounted for 61.1% of net new job creation since 1995.


This year's group of grant recipients represent a wide array of industries and geographies. Each recipient was required to showcase a clear vision for how a commercial vehicle would directly contribute to their business's efficiency, expansion, and ability to serve their communities.


“My journey has always been about honoring my family's legacy by building bold food solutions — from reviving vacant land to teaching my neighbors,” said Cecile Wright, owner of Neal and Nettie’s Grocery. “This grant gives us the tools to take that a step further with our new mobile meat market. This opportunity is about more than money; it's the fuel to bring our vision to life, to deliver quality products, overcome barriers to healthy food, and create jobs in our community.”


Beyond the financial award, all grant recipients are invited to participate in Hello Alice’s Boost Camp, an accelerator business coaching program. This 12-week program is designed to equip entrepreneurs with vital skills through educational guides, virtual expert speakers and workshop sessions, this ensures they can use their grant funds for maximum impact.


The full list of recipients for the 2025 Driving Small Business Forward grant program are:


See and hear more from this year's recipients by watching a few of their stories and visiting https://helloalice.com/grants/progressive/.

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