They were gathered not just as survivors of the devastating January wildfires that swept through Altadena, Pacific Palisades, and nearby foothill communities, but as small business owners determined to rebuild their lives and neighborhoods. Each of them received $25,000 recovery grants, made possible by GoFundMe.org and Paris Hilton’s 11:11 Media Impact Foundation, in partnership with Pasadena City College’s Women’s Business Center.
“This is much more than a mixer,” said Lizzy Okoro Davidson, director of the Women’s Business Center. “This gathering says a lot about who we are as a community and where we’re headed.”
From ice cream shops to home-based childcare providers, the fifty women-owned businesses honored on Wednesday reflected the diversity and drive of Los Angeles’ small business community. Many of the businesses sustained double losses—losing both homes and businesses in the fires.
“You’re not just bringing your businesses back,” Davidson told the honorees. “You’re bringing people together.”
Davidson, who told the audience she read every application submitted for the grants, fought back tears as she recalled the stories of struggle and perseverance behind each name.
“I’m just so grateful that you’re all here,” she said.
Grants totaling more than $1.25 million were distributed. An additional $25,000 went to the Women’s Business Center itself, helping to fund roughly 300 hours of coaching and technical assistance for over 100 entrepreneurs.
Paris Hilton, who grew up in Los Angeles and watched the fires devastate neighborhoods she knew well, said, “The fires were heartbreaking, but what’s more powerful than the loss has been the way you all responded. Your strength and resilience are so inspiring.”
For Hilton, supporting the grant fund was about ensuring that recovery didn’t fade like yesterday’s news. “Real recovery doesn’t happen in a news cycle,” she said. “It happens day by day, brick by brick, heart to heart. This grant, to me, was about hope. It was about saying, ‘I see you, I believe in you, and we’ve got your back.’”
Amanda Brown Lierman, executive director of GoFundMe.org, flew in from the East Coast for the event, emphasizing that the initiative marked a new approach for the online fundraising platform.
“When Paris and 11:11 Media Impact came to us, we jumped,” said Brown Lierman. “Your businesses aren’t just places where people shop or eat. They’re anchors of culture and community.”
GoFundMe raised $265 million for wildfire relief after the fires, with $8 million channeled directly into the Los Angeles Wildfire Relief Fund. Brown Lierman noted that GoFundMe.org moved quickly to distribute funds, granting aid to affected residents within 24 hours of the fires starting.
Wednesday’s event, she said, was not just a celebration but a “powerful statement that your dreams, your businesses, and your stories matter.”
“We’re so proud to partner with Paris Hilton and the Women’s Business Center to deliver these grants,” she said. “You are restoring what was lost, but even more importantly, you’re building what’s next.”
Kate Wu of U.S. Bank, a major supporter of the Women’s Business Center, reflected on the critical role women-owned businesses play in the community. “It’s not Walmart or Amazon sponsoring your kids’ Little League teams,” she said. “It’s the local businesses. More often than not, it’s a woman-owned business.”
As dusk settled over Millionaire’s Row on Orange Grove, where early 20th-century philanthropist Eva Fenyes once hosted her own salons, Davidson gestured toward the mansion behind her.
“We chose this venue intentionally,” she said. “Eva Fenyes was the original girl boss.”
In the aftermath of the devastating fires, the 50 entrepreneurs were the best kind of spark to lead the community back.
A complete list of all 50 winners is available Here.