Tito's Handmade Vodka Raises a Glass to the Entrepreneurial Spirit with $250,000 Grant Program Meet three inspiring entrepreneurs who have been honored as recipients—all of whom are on a mission to do good in the world.

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The team at Austin-based Tito's Handmade Vodka loves making vodka. As it turns out, they love supporting startups, too. To mark its 25th anniversary, Tito's is supporting startup companies that embody the same values and characteristics that Tito's itself has embraced since starting up so many years ago: grit, love, kindness, meaning, and purpose.

Called the "Love, Tito's Small Business Grant Program," the popular vodka brand teamed up with Accion Opportunity Fund—a provider of financial assistance for small businesses that advance racial, gender, and economic justice—to "offer entrepreneurs one less obstacle to overcome and one more opportunity to succeed."

Ten startups have been selected as recipients; each being awarded $25,000 for a total of $250,000 across the program. The businesses can use the award money however they want to help their companies grow.

Here are three of the recipients, their stories, and how they plan for success.

A mission based on grit: TÁPI Story

Since its founding in 2018 by Ái Vuong and Samuel Díaz Fernández, TÁPI Story hasn't been your typical video production company. Its aim is to create media for social impact. In other words, they "use creativity to help dignify communities, extend the reach of local changemakers, and amplify the sound of people envisioning something better for their villages and cities," explains co-founder Vuong.

Based in Austin with team members in Manila, Philippines, and Phnom Penh, Cambodia, the TÁPI Story crew digs deep and relies on grit stemming from their ambitious mission to help share the work of large global players like the UNDP, ILO, USAID, World YMCA, WHO, and APEC, as well as several local and regional NGOs.

"We support the mission of other amazing organizations who fight for justice, create equitable opportunities and access, and pave the way for systemic change," Vuong says. "Internally, we aim to create 'slow media'—a principle of humanizing both the product and the process of media-making. Our mission is interwoven together, because ultimately, we aim to tell stories that are humanizing and dignifying."

Vuong says the award money will help TÁPI Story invest more in cameras and other media equipment to elevate their productions. They say it also affirms their hard work and dedication. "The confidence we received from the award was immeasurable," she says. "We are so grateful to Tito's and their whole team who have been so supportive. We are also so happy for all the other grant recipients across the country."

Shoes made with purpose: Randall's Sandals

Creating an environmentally friendly product is a no-brainer for Randall Engstrom. He founded Randall's Sandals in San Diego's Pacific Beach in 2016 with a purpose to design footwear that flips the script on the traditional, oftentimes polluting textile and fast-fashion industries.

"Instead of being a part of that second-tier polluter, behind the oil and plastic industries, we are helping to bring consumers what they want and need for a stress-free solution to their shopping," Engstrom explains. Today, Randall's Sandals sells sandals and all types of beach products with the same ethos. Additionally, he says customers can return their used shoes and sandals to the store for charity and get a 10 percent discount on their next purchase.

With the financial grant, Engstrom hopes to expedite production of new sandal designs. "Movements start small and bubble out and that is what we are building," he says. "We will continue to push for better products and a better planet."

Making kindness a priority: Bloom Healthy

Communities all over the U.S. lack convenient places that offer affordable healthier foods. Marion Henson is on a mission to change that in the communities near Mount Vernon, N.Y.

That's why she founded Bloom Healthy last year, an organization that provides affordable access to organic fruits, vegetables, herbs, and mushrooms via pop-up events in and around areas with limited access to organic foods. Demand is high and so she plans to use the grant money to open a brick-and-mortar location.

"Food is medicine, and it is nourishment," Henson says. "Bloom Healthy's mission is to make sure that healthy foods are accessible to everyone. A mission that helps fight food insecurity and provides food justice for all."

Click here to learn more about the Love, Tito's Small Business Grant Program and the rest of the recipients.