Shipt announced today LadderUp, an accelerator program that it says will equip local retailers with tools needed to thrive in the current marketplace. The program builds on a set of commitments from the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health to expand access to food in underserved communities.
LadderUp will support local economies by helping local small businesses grow by providing capital, ecommerce-focused technical assistance, and education from industry leaders. In line with the company’s commitment to level the economic playing field for underrepresented populations, Shipt aims to have at least 50 percent of the businesses in LadderUp be LGBTQ+ and BIPOC-owned.
"As a growing tech company that is putting food insecurity and equity at the forefront of its work, Shipt is proud to announce the launch of LadderUp," said Kamau Witherspoon, CEO of Shipt, in a statement. "Working with small businesses to build up their capabilities is a key part of our commitment to help create healthier, more resilient and equitable communities. We recognize the unique role that we can play in both combating hunger in under-resourced communities and boosting small, local retailers that are so vital to communities across our country."
Small businesses in five cities will have the opportunity to be a part of the program: Atlanta; Birmingham, Alabama; Detroit; Houston; and Washington, D.C. This opportunity is open to grocery/beverage, health, beauty, and floral/gifts retailers.
If selected, participants will go through an 8-week course learning from retail industry leaders on driving sustainable growth, building a financial foundation, and developing marketing, ecommerce, and legal skills needed to run a business. Shipt will provide each retailer who completes the LadderUp program with $5,000 to help invest in their ecommerce.
Shopify, an ecommerce company, is partnering with Shipt to teach a course in the program and provide no-cost access to their platform.
The LadderUp program builds on Shipt's existing work designed to support the communities in which it operates and serves. In 2022, Shipt awarded nearly $250,000 in microgrants to organizations that focused on food insecurity, economic disparities, and youth workforce development.
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