Today, we announced Made by Women, an in-app and digital platform that aims to champion women-owned businesses and uplift women voices, along with a first-of-its-kind partnership with multi-platform ESPN commentator and two-time WNBA All-Star and forward for the Los Angeles Sparks, Chiney Ogwumike.
Made by Women kicks off today with new in-app features on DoorDash to highlight and support independent Women-owned businesses and entrepreneurs, making it easier for our customers to discover and support them. Women-owned businesses disproportionately feel the impacts of COVID-19. At DoorDash, we consider this commitment to supporting Women-owned businesses an ongoing effort that demands action through our product, voice, and resources. Here’s how:
- Hundreds of Women-owned, independent restaurants across more than 40 US states have opted into Made by Women and are now searchable on DoorDash by keyword “Women owned”, including local favorites like Nong’s Khao Man Gai in Portland, Kismet in Los Angeles, Goddess and the Baker in Chicago, Fauzia’s Heavenly Delights in NYC, and Glen’s Garden Market in Washington, D.C.
- Each merchant that is highlighted as a Women-owned business has provided approval to be featured through direct contact with our team. Restaurants interested in opting in can learn more here.* DoorDash will continue to add new restaurants and merchants in the coming months.
- In an attempt to address systemic inequities by providing capacity-building resources such as capital, DoorDash will match loans for women-owned businesses through their partnership with Kiva, a global non-profit whose mission is to expand financial access. In 2020, DoorDash established a $150k revolving loan fund with Kiva and as of today, women-owned businesses will be eligible for loan matching from that fund (up to 5k per loan). Kiva provides 0% interest, crowdfunded loans to eligible business owners. Loans are provided and administered by Kiva subject to Kiva’s Terms of Use.
- To further encourage customers to support Women-owned businesses in their neighborhoods, DoorDash customers will see in-app Women-owned carousels in dozens of markets across the US, Canada, and Australia including New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Washington, D.C., Sacramento, Austin, Tampa, Detroit, Cleveland, Toronto, Montreal, Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne. Participating restaurants on the DoorDash platform are also identified by a banner on their store page.
- Caviar customers will also see an in-app Women-Powered carousel with Pineapple Collaborative in select markets including Austin, Boston, New York, Chicago, SF, LA, Miami, and D.C.
Starting today, DoorDash will donate $1 per DoorDash and Caviar order** from a participating merchant that has opted into the Made by Women Platform, up to $100,000, to the James Beard Foundation’s Women’s Leadership Programs.
These efforts expand DoorDash’s investments in supporting entrepreneurship and access for underrepresented businesses and builds upon DoorDash’s $200M Main Street Strong fund, including the $2M Main Street Strong Accelerator, a new program providing financial support and specialized educational resources to women, immigrant and BIPOC-owned businesses. Through DoorDash’s Community Credits program, they’ve also supported women’s empowerment groups such as San Francisco Safe House, Sarah’s Circle, and Girls for Gender Equity, and look forward to collaborating with more organizations supporting equality and advancement for women.
In celebration of International Women’s Day, we also launched today a multi-platform partnership with Chiney Ogwumike through a new national ad campaign titled “In the Zone’’ that spans TV, digital, and social media. The campaign is a leading example of a non-endemic brand creating national creative that features a solo WNBA athlete, elevating the representation of women in advertising and media. The :30 spot simultaneously and seamlessly links DoorDash and basketball through spoken-word narration by a rising voice in the world of sports, while aiming to celebrate women making history.
DoorDash and Chiney Ogwumike have many shared values and are committed to empowering local communities by working together to design initiatives that accelerate efforts to provide access for women across the United States and beyond. Chiney is blazing her own trail of entrepreneurship with broadcast, basketball, and now business, and is dedicated to the mission of opening up opportunities for women worldwide alongside DoorDash.
“I’m thrilled to partner with DoorDash to celebrate and empower women everywhere. As a woman trying to balance it all, it is critical to show the world that we will continue to break glass ceilings every day and lift each other up,” said Chiney Ogwumike, multi-platform ESPN commentator and two-time All-Star of the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks. “On International Women’s Day, we recognize that women are bosses, and our mission is to open up doors for the next generation to run through. And for anyone that knows me, food is the way to my heart, so working with DoorDash is a dream come true.”
“We’re constantly inspired by the endless ways women continue to break barriers and create change across food, sports, entrepreneurship, and beyond,” said Vanessa Carr, DoorDash’s Director of Partnership Marketing. “We are proud to launch our Made by Women platform and partner with Chiney Ogwumike, a multi-faceted trailblazer who is forging a path of her own while also uplifting others along the way. We will continue to leverage our platform and partnerships to support and champion women building their dreams.”
We hope you join us in our efforts to champion women-owned businesses and uplift women voices.
*Administration and eligibility will be in DoorDash’s sole discretion. We reserve the right to amend, suspend, or terminate the terms at any time, including to comply with legislation or regulation of any kind. To learn more about participating in DoorDash’s Made by Women, including eligibility requirements, see here.
**For every order placed on March 8th, 2021 through March 31st, 2021 on the DoorDash and Caviar platforms from participating women-owned businesses, DoorDash will donate $1, up to a maximum of $100,000, to the James Beard Foundation’s Women’s Leadership Programs.
Join Us in Championing Women-Owned Businesses and Uplifting Women Voices was originally published in DoorDash on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.