$350,000 Seed Money Targets Women-Owned Shops
Paris Hilton is expanding her disaster-relief efforts for women entrepreneurs, unveiling a new national program designed to help female small-business owners recover after emergencies. Hilton is putting $350,000 into a new Back in Business Recovery Fund and said the initiative aims to raise at least $1 million by the end of March.
Hilton said women-owned businesses often anchor local economies and neighborhoods, and that the fund is meant to move quickly when disasters disrupt revenue and operations. The effort is being launched through her social impact organization, 11:11 Media Impact, in partnership with GoFundMe.org, the nonprofit arm associated with GoFundMe. GoFundMe.org is contributing $100,000 to support the launch.
From Los Angeles Fire Grants to a Nationwide Model
The new fund builds on a relief program created after the 2025 Los Angeles-area fires, which also destroyed Hilton’s Malibu home. Hilton said the loss was deeply personal and pushed her to think about parents who not only lost housing, but also the income that supports their families.
Following those fires, Hilton and partners distributed more than $1 million in cash grants to 50 women-owned small businesses. Individual awards reached up to $25,000 and went to businesses such as child care providers, bakeries, bookshops, dance studios, and salons that suffered damage tied to the Eaton fire and its impact on Altadena. The funding supported practical needs like rent, payroll, replacing equipment, and rebuilding.
A year later, 90% of the businesses that received grants are still operating, according to the Pasadena Women’s Business Center, which also received support to provide mentorship and technical assistance.
A Floral Studio Rebuild Shows What Cash Grants Can Do
Among the recipients was Renata Ortega, who ran Orla Floral Studio out of a converted garage beside her Altadena home. The fire destroyed her house and her studio, wiping out equipment and inventory she had built over years. Ortega said the grant allowed her to secure a new studio space and buy a floral cooler that was essential to restarting operations.
Ortega said Orla Floral is now fully booked, that she kept staff on payroll, and that she hopes to hire again. She also described the support as emotional momentum during a period when she was rebuilding both her home life and her business at the same time.
How the New Fund Will Work
The new program will provide unrestricted grants and will work with local women’s business centers across the country. Partners plan to coordinate with some of the roughly 150 women’s business centers nationwide to identify affected owners and to connect them with mentorship and a peer community.
Hilton’s team says the fund is intended to respond when disasters strike, with activation decisions informed by outreach to local centers assessing on-the-ground impacts. Organizers argue that keeping small businesses alive protects jobs, local tax bases, and the identity of communities trying to bring residents back after displacement.
Visibility Push Includes New “Back in Business” Series
A YouTube series titled “Back in Business” launched alongside the initiative, spotlighting some of the Los Angeles grantees and the recovery process. Hilton said the goal is to increase awareness and motivate additional donors.
Hilton and several grant recipients, including Ortega, are scheduled to ring the New York Stock Exchange closing bell on Monday, tied to International Women’s Day activities following the March 8 observance.
