The Juanita A. Portlock Memorial Scholarship Fund 501(c)(3)’s Exhibit at The Culver City Middle School Panthers Black-Owned Business Expo
Advisory Board Member Sharlette Hambrick and Publicist, Jasmine Houston
The Juanita A. Portlock Memorial Scholarship Fund 501(c)(3) in collaboration with Juanita’s Red Room is excited to announce its participation in the Culver City Middle School Panthers Black-Owned Business Expo. The Expo was held on Friday, February 24, 2023 at Culver City Middle School located at 4601 Elenda Street in Culver City; and showcased local Black-owned businesses in celebration of Black History Month. The Juanita A. Portlock Memorial Scholarship Fund, founded in 2017, is committed to providing scholarships/business stipends to qualified entrepreneurs in the areas of Cosmetology/Barbering, Culinary Arts, Event Planning, Fashion Design, Hospitality Management, and Interior Design. The Fund’s team was on hand to answer questions, provide scholarship/business stipend applications and promote its inaugural Entrepreneur 101 Bootcamp slated for Monday, May 15, 2023, in celebration of Small Business Month. The Bootcamp will be co-sponsored by First AME Church Los Angeles. “We were thrilled to exhibit at the second annual Culver City Middle School Panthers Black-Owned Business Expo,” said Sharlette Hambrick, Advisory Board Member of The Juanita A. Portlock Memorial Scholarship Fund. “The expo provided us with a unique opportunity to connect with other Black entrepreneurs and increase our visibility to potential applicants.” The scholarship is open to students and entrepreneurs in underserved and historically marginalized communities, with a special focus on those living in the 2nd Los Angeles County Supervisorial District. Applicants must complete an application which includes an essay, letters of recommendation and additional criteria. A committee will review the applications and select the recipients based on merit.
The Juanita A. Portlock Memorial Scholarship Fund is dedicated to helping students and start-up entrepreneurs to excel academically, thrive in business and to assist with their financial obligations.
Applicants must complete studies or conduct business in one of the following areas:
o Cosmetology/Barbering
o Culinary Arts
o Event Planning
o Fashion Design
o Hospitality Management
o Interior Design
Our goals are to assist deserving students and entrepreneurs, fulfill purpose in their lives, achieve their
career goals, pursue their passion, and better serve their community and the world.
REQUIREMENTS
Students
• Must be a graduating high school senior (Class of 2023) or a current college student
• Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5
• Must be admitted and plan to attend an accredited college or university or currently attending.
• Official High School or College Transcript (Must be mailed and sealed)
• Letters of Recommendation (2 letters are required) Letters may be from an administrator or teacher/
professor at your school, community organization, or mentor who is 18 years of age or older.
• Letter of acceptance from a higher learning institution.
• Letter of intent from a higher learning institution or proof of enrollment (Must be provided before
scholarship is awarded).
• Scholarship will be awarded on August 24, 2023 at the Annual Scholarship Fundraising Tea & Dinner.
Entrepreneurs
• Must be a small business grossing less than $50,000.00 annually in sales; in business less than three
years and who did not start their business prior to August 1, 2020.
• Entrepreneurs must submit proof of gross earnings which do not exceed $50,000 as reflected in
submitted tax returns.
• Letters of Recommendations (2 letters are required). Letters may be from a client, vendor, banker or a mentor who is 18 years of age or older.
• Business stipend will be awarded on August 24, 2023 at the Annual Scholarship Fundraising Tea and Dinner.
All Applicants
• Typed Essay (Min. 500/Max. 1,000) Essay Topic: Reginald F. Lewis was an American businessman.
He was one of the richest Black American men in the 1980s, and the first Black American to build a
billion-dollar company, TLC Beatrice International Holdings Inc. a snack food, beverage, and grocery
store conglomerate that was the largest Black owned and managed business in the United States. Mr.
Lewis is famously quoted as saying “Keep Going to Build a Better Society…To be a
compassionate America…Keep Going No Matter What! What factors drive you in the pursuit of your
entrepreneurial dreams and why?
• Submit application and all attachments by April 24, 2023 no later than 11:59pm (Typed
application preferred, if handwritten please write legibly)
• Awardees must be present at the event on August 24, 2023 to accept their award or submit a 2 minute
video to be presented at the event.
For more information, please contact Jasmine C. Houston at Powerhouse PR:
(888) 966-5299 or email jasmine@powerhousepr.co.
