Wells Fargo and Fresco Marketing award $10,000 grants to small businesses
A flooded flower shop just received a cash lift.
The short version
- Wells Fargo and Fresco Marketing handed out $10,000 grants to small businesses.
- The money helps owners rebuild after disasters and keep going.
- Ten new winners will get checks this year.
Check your shop's safety net today. A flower shop owner in Kansas City just turned a devastating flood into a fresh start, according to Startland News. Olivia Esquivel watched three feet of rainwater destroy her Bloom With Love storefront on the Eastside last summer.
Then a $10,000 grant arrived from the Folklore initiative, a collaborative effort between Fresco Marketing and Wells Fargo, the massive bank holding company. Wells Fargo has poured $100,000 a year for five straight years into the program to back local businesses. Luis Padilla, the founder of Fresco Marketing, helped build the effort to push past capital barriers in underserved areas.
The unexpected check gave Esquivel the push to relocate right onto the KC Streetcar line at 1901 Main St. In the Crossroads. "You lose a lot of your faith when something like that happens," Esquivel said. The money helped her rebuild after the storm wiped out inventory and walls.
Folklore is now gearing up to hand out ten new $10,000 grants for 2026. For any shop owner facing a sudden setback, having cash on hand makes the difference between closing up and moving forward.
