Grants & Scholarships

Since our scholarship and grant program began ten years ago, we have awarded more than $250,000 to women across the state pursuing a wide variety of food and culinary-related careers.

2026 Entrepreneur Grant Winners

Tierra Robinson-Jeter & Tiffaney Strayhorne

NOIR Café

NOIR Café is an exciting new concept bringing elevated food, beverage, and hospitality into the Hoover Public Library.

Founded by two accomplished culinary entrepreneurs, NOIR blends creativity, culture, and community into a space that will serve thousands of visitors each year.

With this $5,000 award, NOIR will support startup equipment; inventory; and early operations, helping launch the café successfully in May 2026.

Beyond opening its doors, NOIR is committed to workforce development through youth workshops and a future internship program, helping shape the next generation of hospitality professionals in Alabama.

Na'imah Alecia Elmore

Alecia's Coffee

Alicia’s Coffee, located inside the historic A.G. Gaston Motel, is built on a simple but powerful belief: Coffee is connection. This space serves not only as a café, but also as a hub for community, healing, and hospitality in Birmingham.

This $5,000 award will support staff training; essential equipment maintenance; and expanded community programming, including outreach to unhoused neighbors and regular mental health initiatives.

These investments will strengthen daily operations while allowing Alicia’s Coffee to deepen its role as a welcoming, community-centered space rooted in care and connection.

Joana Maldonado Araujo

Pasteles La MoreliAna

Pasteles La MoreliAna is Birmingham’s first Mexican mobile bakery, bringing authentic tres leches cakes and traditional pan dulce to the community through family recipes passed down for generations.

With her food truck, Joana Maldonado Araujo has not only introduced new flavors to the local food scene, but she also has created meaningful connections by celebrating culture and supporting local schools and community events.

This $3,000 grant will help Pasteles La MoreliAna continue growing toward a permanent brick-and-mortar location while strengthening day-to-day operations. It will support participation in more festivals and events, help stabilize the business after recent challenges, and allow Joana to expand her reach—sharing her culture, supporting her community, and bringing more people together through food.

Vanessa Sanders

Nothing But Love Homestead

Nothing but Love Homestead is a Birmingham-based urban farm rooted in wellness, sustainability, and community care.

Founded by Vanessa Sanders, this micro-farm produces fresh food, holistic products, and hands-on learning experiences that empower families and individuals to reconnect with the land.

This $3,000 award will help expand growing infrastructure, improve packaging for retail readiness, and support educational workshops for youth and adults.

With these resources, Nothing but Love Homestead will increase access to healthy food, deepen community education, and continue creating spaces that nourish both people and the community.

Alexis Pappas

Trapezi Foods, LLC

Trapezi Foods is a Birmingham-based specialty brand redefining the salad dressing category with premium, all-natural ingredients rooted in Greek tradition. What started as a catering favorite has quickly grown into a retail product now found in stores across Alabama and beyond.

With this $3,000 award, Alexis Pappas will scale Trapezi Foods production by transitioning to a co-packer, allowing the company to meet growing demand, expand its retail footprint, and strengthen partnerships with local farms and food producers.

This investment will help bring more Alabama-made products to market while supporting job creation and keeping food dollars in the local economy.