Nearly $50K Awarded to Impact Entrepreneurs: Meet the 2026 SEG Microgrant Recipients
October 28th, 2026
Social Enterprise Greenhouse is thrilled to announce the recipients of our 2026 SEG Microgrants. This round, we awarded $48,705 to 10 impact-driven ventures from our Accelerator and Incubator communities, each working to build a stronger, more equitable Rhode Island.
The SEG Microgrant was created with a simple intention: to get capital into the hands of early-stage founders at the moment it matters most. For many entrepreneurs, a few thousand dollars is the difference between staying stuck and crossing into the next stage of growth, whether that means buying equipment, launching a pilot, building a website, or reaching their first customers.
This year’s recipients were selected through a multi-step review that included pre-screening, a staff screener, and a committee screener drawn from SEG’s network of advisors and community partners.
The SEG Microgrant by the numbers
Since the program began, the SEG Microgrant has invested $551,374 in 128 ventures across Rhode Island. More than half of those ventures are led by BIPOC founders, reflecting our commitment to closing the capital gap for entrepreneurs who have historically been shut out of traditional funding.
Meet the 2026 SEG Microgrant recipients
- Breaking Bread, Akanksha Aga · Incubator, Fall 2025
- FinSight Intelligence, Chelsie Santos · Accelerator, Spring 2026
- Heroes Read, Shawn Andrews · Incubator, Spring 2026
- Horizon Robotics Lab, Cristobal Rincon Rogers · Accelerator, Spring 2026
- Kay’s Curries, Kalpana Kethineedi · Accelerator, Spring 2025
- MarGee Deliva Box, Marvin Remy and Gcobisa Gwaza Remy · Incubator, Spring 2026
- Needle in the Noise, Dr. Nicholas Grumbach & Derke Hughes · Accelerator, Fall 2025
- Rosie’s Revival, Melyssa Reed · Incubator, Spring 2025
- Ruta Health, Brie Rowey · Incubator, Fall 2025
- Sashoonya, Aleksandra (Sasha) Azbel · Accelerator, Fall 2023
Recipients are already putting their grants to work. Here’s what Needle in the Noise had to say:
“We are thrilled that Needle in the Noise has been awarded Social Enterprise Greenhouse’s Microgrant and are so proud that SEG has seen the potential of our innovation! Building on what we learned in SEG’s Accelerator Program and our current work in their Scale Lab, the Microgrant will prove extremely helpful in helping to fund our testing as we work toward proof of concept. Eventually we expect that our advanced ultrasound imaging will help millions of people with chronic liver disease, the first tissue we plan to target.” — Nicholas Grumbach & Derke Hughes, founders, Needle in the Noise
Thank you
A huge thank you to the SEG staff and committee screeners who volunteered their time and expertise to review this year’s applications, and to the donors and partners whose support makes the SEG Microgrant possible. Congratulations to all ten recipients. We can’t wait to see what you build next.
Want to help us fund the next round of Rhode Island’s impact entrepreneurs? Make a gift to SEG and help more founders cross into their next stage of growth.