Listen to this articleA premium tequila brand created by actor-comedian Kevin Hart and Juan Domingo Beckmann of Jersey City-based liquor company Proximo Spirits will award $500,000 in grants to diverse entrepreneurs across the U.S. and Mexico.
Through an initiative developed by Gran Coramino and national nonprofit Local Initiatives Support Corp., 50 small business owners will receive $10,000 to help grow their ventures.
Additionally, recipients will get training on how to responsibly and effectively incorporate AI into operations from Essex County-headquartered 1st Street Partnerships.
Within New Jersey, grants will go to La Ingrata, a Mexican restaurant in Camden, and 4 Grands Piano, a piano seller in Fairfield.
Husband-wife team Daniel Paulsen and Renee Paulsen own 4 Grands Piano. It is one of the first black-owned piano stores in the country to provide affordable pianos, services, accessories and lessons. Thanks to the funding, the couple said they opened a second location — alongside a new recording studio to support young new artists.
Daniel Paulsen said the goal was to use the grant to “create the atmosphere for them to grow and learn musically.”
$1.5M and counting
Since its launch in 2023, The Coramino Fund has awarded over $1.5 million in grants. As a result, more than 150 small business owners that operate in or serve low- and moderate-income communities have benefitted.
Past New Jersey recipients include:
Hart commented, “Our vision with The Coramino Fund is to lift up the hard-working entrepreneurs who keep our communities strong. This next group of grantees is a perfect example—they’re building businesses with purpose and that’s the kind of leadership we want to celebrate and support.”
LISC President and CEO Michael Pugh shared, “Small businesses are the economic heart of our country and the drivers of community prosperity. The 2025 grantees reflect the resilient nature of small business owners and we’re proud to work in partnership with The Coramino Fund to help support these innovative community leaders.”
