Hortiki Plants
CONTACT:
Dana Wiggins
202.735.1511
contact@hortikiplants.com
March 3, 2023
Hortiki Plants Congratulates Founder Dr. Victoria LeBeaux for graduating from ICIC Executive Leadership Program
Washington, DC: This Women’s History Month, Hortiki Plants, an online retailer of organic garden kits, congratulates Founder, Dr. Victoria LeBeaux, for graduating from Inter City Capital Connections (ICCC), an Executive Leadership Program of the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC). The mission of ICIC is to drive inclusive economic prosperity in under-resourced communities through innovative research and programs to create jobs, income, and wealth for local residents. According to Hortiki Plants Founder, Dr. LeBeaux, this mission is closely aligned with her company’s values.
“I have a big vision for Hortiki Plants” says Dr. LeBeaux. “ I know that I have to constantly uplevel my skills to ensure my business thrives and becomes a dynamic force for social and environmental good.”
According to the most recent State of Women Owned Business report published by American Express (1) only 3% of black women own mature businesses older than five years. Additionally, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration (2), only 10% of women owned businesses overall ever scale to the point of hiring other employees. Access to training on how to grow and scale a business for community impact is critically important to move these numbers forward.
“The ICIC program has opened the door to the connections and resources I need to help Hortiki scale, develop an outstanding team, and expand into new markets such as corporate and government contracting” concludes Dr. LeBeaux.
Although women of color are starting businesses at the highest rate of any demographic group, they still lag behind in revenue generation. The commitment of these small business leaders to programs like ICIC shows that they are ready to close the gap and make a real difference in their communities.
About Hortiki Plants:
Hortiki Plants provides ecofriendly garden kits that make it easy and fun for everyone to grow their own food. Hortiki Plants’ kits have been featured online by over 60 media outlets, including Country Living, Good Housekeeping, House Beautiful, Marie Claire, MSN, Women’s Health Magazine, and Yahoo.com. Hortiki Plants is a certified minority and woman-owned small business.
Learn more at: https://hortikiplants.com/
About ICCC:
Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) drives inclusive economic prosperity in under-resourced communities through innovative research and programs to create jobs, income, and wealth for local residents.
Founded in 1994 by Harvard Business School Professor Michael Porter, the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City is a national nonprofit research and advisory organization and the leading authority on U.S. under-resourced economies and the businesses that thrive there.
Learn more at: https://icic.org/
References:
- American Express, “The 2019 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report.” (September 2019)
- Williams, Victoria. Small Business Administration. August 2021,Small Business Facts Women-Owned Employer Businesses. https://cdn.advocacy.sba.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/16095912/Business-Ownership-Demographics-Fact-Sheet.pdf
