Our Founding Story

close up photography of red petaled flower

Remember Your Why

Where It All Started

In September 2009, I became a divorced single mom with a three-year-old son and struggled to make ends meet. Throughout the years, we lived in poverty, and I was making a low wage. I wanted more for my son and didn’t want him to grow up any longer in poverty. In 2015 I started my entrepreneurial journey to change the trajectory of our lives. But after three failed businesses, I began to feel defeated and wanted to give up the dream to become a business owner and financially stable.

Despite the barriers of racial inequality, structural racism, and lack of access to affordable education, I continued the journey to financial stability and, in the process, founded Grind + Growth. I didn’t want others to go through what I endured. My mission became to empower people, help break poverty cycles, increase their economic mobility, and experience financial freedom.

Since our formation, we have learned a lot. We’ve learned that an equitable education and financial literacy are vital to living a healthy life. Every individual we serve, dollars donated, and supporter is essential to our work. Grind + Growth is a movement of passionate individuals that are the most dynamic and impactful leaders we have ever seen. They are committed to helping us in supporting underserved and under-resourced communities with more significant educational opportunities for families living in poverty. Ultimately, we believe that everyone will have access to resources and power that are equitably shared and will live with integrity and flourish. We will continue to work faithfully in breaking the cycles of poverty to enable the possibility of a better future.

Valerie V. Liddell, Founder & CEO