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Austin-Based Vodka Company Continues Its 25th Anniversary Celebration By Awarding 10 Business Owners with $25,000 Grants To Support Their Entrepreneurial Endeavors

Today, Tito’s Handmade Vodka and Accion Opportunity Fund announced the “Love, Tito’s Small Business Grant Program,” which will give small business owners the chance to win 10 individual $25,000 grants to further their entrepreneurial endeavors.

Inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit that started it all, the “Love, Tito’s Small Business Grant Program” is part of Tito’s Handmade Vodka’s yearlong 25th-anniversary celebration that pays homage to entrepreneurs pursuing their passion with meaning, purpose, and lots of courage, like its founder, Bert “Tito” Beveridge.

Tito’s path to success was anything but traditional. Before starting the Austin-based vodka company, he found himself in several odd jobs, from oil rigs to mortgages, along the way to discovering his passion for distilling vodka. After maxing out 19 credit cards and working day and night as a one-man operation for 8 years, he never gave up and eventually founded Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Tito’s story is a reminder for entrepreneurs to stay true to their pursuit of finding what makes them happy.

Since the early days, Tito’s Handmade Vodka has become synonymous with doing good and supporting thousands of nonprofit initiatives each year, and in that continued spirit of doing good, Tito’s is now striving to support entrepreneurs who share Tito’s Handmade Vodka’s values.

“When Tito started the company, everyone thought it was a crazy idea,” said Amy Lukken, Chief Joyologist at Tito’s Handmade Vodka. “But thanks to his grit and determination, he never gave up on his dream and ultimately made it happen. Now here we are 25 years later, and we couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity to give back to small business owners who are following their passion, just like Tito.”

To bring the “Love, Tito’s Small Business Grant Program” to life, Love, Tito’s is teaming up with Accion Opportunity Fund, a national nonprofit known for its financial support system that provides diverse, determined small business owners with access to capital, networks, and coaching.

“We’re so excited to work with Tito’s Handmade Vodka and Love, Tito’s to create access and opportunities for entrepreneurs across the country,'' said Luz Urrutia, CEO of Accion Opportunity Fund. “This grant could be the starting block that changes an entrepreneur's trajectory, giving them the opportunity to secure their financial future.”

WHO IS ELIGIBLE

The “Love, Tito’s Small Business Grant Program” will provide 10 individual grants of $25,000 each to small business owners who best demonstrate in their application:

• A meaningful connection to their community

• A clear and compelling vision for their business

• The Tito’s Handmade Vodka values of grit, love, kindness, family, meaning and purpose

HOW TO APPLY

• Interested applicants can fill out the application and provide all required documentation when the application launches on June 1st.

• Applications will be accepted from June 1, 2022 8:00 am ET to June 30, 2022 8:00 pm ET

• Accion Opportunity Fund will assess the grant applications against the program criteria and select 10 grantees to receive $25,000 grants each

• Grantees will be notified in July 2022 and grants will be issued in August 2022

The “Love, Tito’s Small Business Grants Program” is part of Tito’s Handmade Vodka’s 25th Anniversary Celebration that was announced earlier this year, along with its newly designed commemorative bottle, augmented reality-enabled artwork hand-painted by artist Paul Mann, a film that sums up the brand’s 25 years in 30 seconds, and a contest to find and thank the country’s biggest Tito’s fans.

To learn more about the “Love, Tito’s Small Business Grant Program,” visit aofund.org.

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About Tito’s Handmade Vodka

Tito’s Handmade Vodka was founded by sixth-generation Texan, Bert “Tito” Beveridge. In the mid-nineties, on a plot of land in rural Austin, he built a 998 square foot shack, rigged a pot still with spare parts, and created Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Tito’s corn-based vodka is certified gluten-free. Tito’s Handmade Vodka is distilled and bottled by Fifth Generation, Inc. in Austin, Texas, and is available in Liter, 1.75L, 750ml, 375ml, 200ml, and 50ml sizes. For more information, visit www.titosvodka.com.

About Love, Tito’s

​​Giving back has been part of Tito’s Handmade Vodka from the very beginning. United under the goal of “Turning Spirits into Love & Goodness,” Love Tito’s, the philanthropic heart of Tito’s Handmade Vodka, has supported tens of thousands of causes over the years—lending a hand to communities affected by natural disasters, spreading joy to those who need a little more, protecting the environment we all share, and developing programs to better serve our communities. For more information, visit lovetitos.com.

About Accion Opportunity Fund

Accion Opportunity Fund works to create an inclusive, healthy financial system that supports the nation’s small business owners by connecting entrepreneurs to affordable capital, educational resources, coaching, and networks. Through innovative partnerships and outreach strategies, we reach entrepreneurs of color, low-income entrepreneurs, and women, who often lack access to the financial services they need to build and grow their businesses. Accion Opportunity Fund Community Development is the lending arm of Accion Opportunity Fund, California Finance Lender license #6050609.