• 20 GRANT RECIPIENTS ARE SELECTED FROM MORE THAN 6,500 APPLICATIONS TO RECEIVE FUNDING, YEAR-LONG MENTORSHIP, AND COACHING

IRVINE, Calif., June 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allergan Aesthetics, an AbbVie company (NYSE: ABBV) today announced the 20 incredible women entrepreneurs who will receive funding and mentorship through the BOTOX^® Cosmetic and IFundWomen grant program. More than 6,500 women submitted applications and each one was carefully reviewed by a panel to select the winners. While the number of women-owned businesses in the country continues to grow, and is now estimated at 42 percent of all businesses in the U.S.,¹ there is more work to be done, particularly in helping ideas translate into business opportunities addressing the "Confidence Gap."

"There were so many remarkable applications that featured thoughtful business solutions," said Carrie Strom, President, Global Allergan Aesthetics and Senior Vice President, AbbVie. "BOTOX^® Cosmetic was born out of the entrepreneurial spirit and its more than 20-year history² is rooted in people seeing a challenge and finding an answer. Each of the women selected to receive a grant saw a need for change, and set out to make a positive difference in the world. We are thrilled to celebrate them and support their businesses."

In the coming months, the grant recipients will engage in a 10-week Crowdfunding Accelerator Program and learn from experts in various fields. The intensive coaching program curriculum will include important business topics such as network mapping, content marketing, social media, public relations, and crowdfunding for their business, helping them to further refine and optimize their strategies. In addition to the IFundWomen coaches, leaders from BOTOX^® Cosmetic will be joining the coaching staff for the Accelerator Program, which is a first for IFundWomen's partnerships. Quality mentorship plays a pivotal role in an entrepreneur's success and the growth of their business.³

"As a woman entrepreneur myself, I know how hard it can be to overcome the 'Confidence Gap.' Every day we find ourselves questioning if we have what it takes, and sometimes all we need to find that resounding 'yes' is a little bit of affirmation from the outside world," said Michelle Henry, MD, FAAD, Board-Certified Dermatologist, Mohs Surgeon and Founder of Skin & Aesthetic Surgery of Manhattan. "I am honored to be a part of the advisory group alongside my peers to help provide these women with that affirmation. Each one of these women and their businesses are doing important work and are so deserving of these grants."

In addition to Dr. Henry, the entrepreneur healthcare professionals who aided in the grant recipient selection included Camille G. Cash, MD, Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon and Founder of Camille G. Cash, MD Aesthetic Plastic Surgery; Shawna Chrisman, Nurse Practitioner and Founder of Destination Aesthetics™; Terrence Keaney, MD, FAAD, Board-Certified Dermatologist and Founder of SkinDC; Caroline Robinson, MD, FAAD, Board-Certified Dermatologist and Founder of Tone Dermatology; Sherly Soleiman, MD, Board-Certified Physician and Founder and Medical Director of Cosmetic Injectables Center; and Yvette Suarez, MD, FAAMM, Board-Certified Physician and Founder and Owner of Bella Excellence. 

"The funding and mentorship that I am receiving through this program for my business are truly transformative and will help ensure our continued success," said Maria Palacio, Co-Founder of Progeny Coffee. "I look forward to building lifelong connections with the other entrepreneurs participating in this program, as well as the amazing individuals I am meeting at BOTOX^® Cosmetic and IFundWomen. Receiving this grant further reinforces for me that I've got something special here and it's an honor to be recognized. When people come together, we all rise together."

The grant winners and their businesses are:

• Adorn Me Africa – Elorm Dela-Seshie (Boston, Mass.) – @adornmeafrica
• Association of Military Spouse Entrepreneurs – Monika Jefferson (Hampton, Va.) – @amseagency
• BlackTravelBox^® – Orion Brown (Denver, Colo.) – @blacktravelbox
• Bri's Dance Place – Brianna Hairlson (Gary, Ind.) – @brisdanceplace
• Everviolet – Keira Kotler (San Anselmo, Calif.) – @everviolet
• Fourplay Social – Danielle Dietzek and Julie Griggs (New York, N.Y.) – @fourplaydating
• Grounded – Danuelle Doswell and Mignon Hemsley (Washington, D.C.) – @groun.ded
• InFlow Entertainment – Lisa Crnic (Los Angeles, Calif.) – @inflow_entertainment
• Kola Goodies – Sajani Amarasiri (San Francisco, Calif.) – @kolagoodies
• Love Cork Screw – Chrishon Lampley (Chicago, Ill.) – @lovecorkscrew
• Makhers Studio – Wanona Satcher (Atlanta, Ga.) – @makhersstudio
• Money News Network – Nicole Lapin (Los Angeles, Calif.) – @moneynews
• No Limbits – Erica Cole (Richmond, Va.) – @no.limbits
• Nomads Swimwear – Taylor Long (Atlanta, Ga.) – @nomadsswimwear
• Postal Petals – Talia Boone (Los Angeles, Calif.) – @postalpetals
• Progeny Coffee – Maria Palacio (Palo Alto, Calif.) – @progeny_coffee
• Southern Roots Vegan Bakery – Cara Pitts (Converse, Texas) – @southernrootsbiz
• SWAIR – Carrie Sporer and Meredith Krill (New York, N.Y.) – @swairhair
• The Coven – Alex Steinman and Erinn Farrell (Minneapolis, Minn.) – @thecoven.co
• TJL Collection – Tiffany Jones Lewis (Arlington, Texas) – @tjl_collection

Visit BotoxCosmetic.com/RealImpact to learn more about this partnership and the grant recipients. Follow along on the @botoxcosmetic Instagram and YouTube channels where each of the 20 founders and their businesses will be spotlighted throughout the year.

BOTOX^® COSMETIC IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

BOTOX^® Cosmetic may cause serious side effects that can be life threatening. Get medical help right away if you have any of these problems any time (hours to weeks) after injection of BOTOX^® Cosmetic:

• Problems swallowing, speaking, or breathing, due to weakening of associated muscles, can be severe and result in loss of life. You are at the highest risk if these problems are pre-existing before injection. Swallowing problems may last for several months.
• Spread of toxin effects. The effect of botulinum toxin may affect areas away from the injection site and cause serious symptoms including: loss of strength and all-over muscle weakness, double vision, blurred vision and drooping eyelids, hoarseness or change or loss of voice, trouble saying words clearly, loss of bladder control, trouble breathing, and trouble swallowing.

BOTOX^® Cosmetic dosing units are not the same as, or comparable to, any other botulinum toxin product.

There has not been a confirmed serious case of spread of toxin effect when BOTOX^® Cosmetic has been used at the recommended dose to treat frown lines, crow's feet lines, and/or forehead lines.

BOTOX^® Cosmetic may cause loss of strength or general muscle weakness, vision problems, or dizziness within hours to weeks of taking BOTOX^® Cosmetic. If this happens, do not drive a car, operate machinery, or do other dangerous activities.

Serious and/or immediate allergic reactions have been reported. They include: itching, rash, red itchy welts, wheezing, asthma symptoms, or dizziness or feeling faint. Get medical help right away if you are wheezing or have asthma symptoms, or if you become dizzy or faint.

Do not receive BOTOX^® Cosmetic if you: are allergic to any of the ingredients in BOTOX^® Cosmetic (see Medication Guide for ingredients); had an allergic reaction to any other botulinum toxin product such as Myobloc^® (rimabotulinumtoxinB), Dysport^® (abobotulinumtoxinA), or Xeomin^® (incobotulinumtoxinA); have a skin infection at the planned injection site.

Tell your doctor about all your muscle or nerve conditions, such as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, myasthenia gravis, or Lambert-Eaton syndrome, as you may be at increased risk of serious side effects including difficulty swallowing and difficulty breathing from typical doses of BOTOX^® Cosmetic.

Tell your doctor about all your medical conditions, including: plans to have surgery; had surgery on your face; have trouble raising your eyebrows; drooping eyelids; any other abnormal facial change; are pregnant or plan to become pregnant (it is not known if BOTOX^® Cosmetic can harm your unborn baby); are breast-feeding or plan to (it is not known if BOTOX^® Cosmetic passes into breast milk).

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Using BOTOX^® Cosmetic with certain other medicines may cause serious side effects. Do not start any new medicines until you have told your doctor that you have received BOTOX^® Cosmetic in the past.

Tell your doctor if you have received any other botulinum toxin product in the last 4 months; have received injections of botulinum toxin such as Myobloc^®, Dysport^®, or Xeomin^® in the past (tell your doctor exactly which product you received); have recently received an antibiotic by injection; take muscle relaxants; take an allergy or cold medicine; take a sleep medicine; take aspirin-like products or blood thinners.

Other side effects of BOTOX^® Cosmetic include: dry mouth; discomfort or pain at the injection site; tiredness; headache; neck pain; and eye problems: double vision, blurred vision, decreased eyesight, drooping eyelids and eyebrows, swelling of your eyelids and dry eyes.

APPROVED USES

BOTOX^® Cosmetic is a prescription medicine that is injected into muscles and used to temporarily improve the look of moderate to severe forehead lines, crow's feet lines, and frown lines between the eyebrows in adults.

For more information refer to the Medication Guide or talk with your doctor.

To report a side effect, please call Allergan at 1-800-678-1605.

Please see BOTOX^® Cosmetic full Product Information including Boxed Warning and Medication Guide.

About Allergan Aesthetics
Allergan Aesthetics, an AbbVie company, develops, manufactures, and markets a portfolio of leading aesthetics brands and products. Their aesthetics portfolio includes facial injectables, body contouring, plastics, skin care, and more. Their goal is to consistently provide customers worldwide with innovation, education, exceptional service, and a commitment to excellence, all with a personal touch.

About AbbVie
AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye care, virology, women's health and gastroenterology, in addition to products and services across its Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

About IFundWomen

IFundWomen is the go-to funding marketplace for entrepreneurs, with a mission to close the money gap for women-owned businesses through its proprietary mix of capital, coaching, and connections. Since its founding, IFundWomen has empowered its members to raise $278M in early-stage capital and to create 55,000 new jobs, helping fuel the small businesses economy. IFundWomen's marketplace offers its members multiple access points to capital, including crowdfunding, enterprise-brokered grants, collateral-free loans, and the best funding of all – revenue, through its newest product, IFundWomen ServicesX, a marketplace connecting independent business services experts to customers. To learn more about IFundWomen, please visit www.ifundwomen.com. Follow @ifundwomen on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.

References

1. American Express. The 2019 State of Women-Owned Business Report, 2019.
2. Data on File. AbbVie. FDA Product Approval Information, 2019.
3. Endeavor Insight. Women in Entrepreneurship: How Women-Led Companies Drive Economic Growth in the United States. August 2020.