BEVEL ANNOUNCES WINNER OF $25,000 INVEST FEST VENDOR MARKETPLACE GRANT

BEVEL, Atlanta-based premium head-to-toe grooming brand

STEM PLUG recognized for its culturally grounded approach to STEM education

STEM PLUG recognized for its culturally grounded STEM approach and empowering youth, as BEVEL strengthens its entrepreneurship focus at Invest Fest 2025

ATLANTA, GA, UNITED STATES, September 16, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- BEVEL, the Atlanta-based premium head-to-toe grooming brand, proudly announced the winner of its second annual $25,000 Invest Fest Vendor Marketplace Grant during yesterday’s Market Mondays interview with BEVEL CEO Damon Frost on Earn Your Leisure.

This year’s grant was awarded to STEM PLUG, a standout among hundreds of marketplace vendors at Invest Fest 2025. The organization was recognized for its innovative approach to STEM education, its cultural relevance, and its powerful mission to empower underserved youth through confidence-building, hands-on learning.

“We were genuinely blown away by STEM PLUG'S grant submission,” said Damon Frost, CEO of BEVEL. “And when we spoke with Rich at Invest Fest, his vision, dedication, and the tangible impact of his work stood out even more. The commitment to empowering young people through STEM education in such a holistic and community-rooted way is exactly the kind of work this grant was designed to support. This is not just about awarding funds. It is about backing builders of real, lasting change. STEM Plug represents that mission perfectly.”

Founded by Rich Gilliam, STEM PLUG in began 2022 with a vision: to help children from underrepresented communities see themselves reflected in STEM, from what they’re reading to what they’re building. What started as a series of culturally grounded children's books has since grown into a full ecosystem of STEM products and experiences, including robotic kits, interactive classes, podcasts, and more.

“We’re building tools and experiences for our community by listening to parents, teachers, and STEM facilitators. Our first book was just the beginning. As we heard more about the importance of hands-on learning, we evolved,” said Rich Gilliam, founder of STEM PLUG. “Now, with every robotics kit, kids are the ones doing the building — step by step. A kid might start a class saying, ‘I can’t build robots,’ but with each step, their confidence grows until they realize they can do it. That’s what this is all about.”

Gilliam’s mission is deeply personal. Raised in the inner city of North Philadelphia, he had limited academic encouragement and graduated high school with a 1.8 GPA. Against the odds, he earned his degree from Saint Augustine’s University and became an engineer, an experience that changed his trajectory. Now, through STEM PLUG, he’s helping kids start early supporting their confidence and potential earlier and more tangibly.

The announcement capped off BEVEL’s second year as a featured partner at Invest Fest, the three-day cultural and financial empowerment experience hosted by Earn Your Leisure. The event celebrates entrepreneurship, community building, and financial education, principles that align closely with BEVEL’s mission.

“We’re incredibly proud to work with BEVEL for a second year to spotlight and support Black entrepreneurs doing extraordinary things,” said Abdoulaye Sow, COO of Invest Fest. “This grant is about shifting trajectories and making space for scalable, generational change.”

BEVEL’s connection to entrepreneurship is rooted on many levels. Recognizing that Atlanta is the fastest growing city for Black entrepreneurs and that the brand was founded by entrepreneur Tristan Walker, it’s no surprise BEVEL felt inspired to support the entrepreneurship happening at Invest Fest for the second year in a row. Last year’s inaugural grant was awarded to Double Dutch Aerobics, the high-energy fitness brand founded by champions Michelle and Sean Clark. Year over year, BEVEL continues to identify and uplift community impact leaders and entrepreneurs who are building businesses that not only reflect culture but move it forward.

To learn more about the grant visit www.investfest.com

About BEVEL
BEVEL, part of the Procter & Gamble family, is designing beauty and grooming solutions for people of color. Our vision is to build the world's most consumer-centric health and beauty products company, inspiring unprecedented customer loyalty. BEVEL launched in 2013, providing grooming products for black men, including a full Skin Care regimen, a Shave System, and the BEVEL Trimmer, designed to help reduce skin irritation and razor bumps. To learn more about BEVEL visit www.getbevel.com.

About Invest Fest
Invest Fest is a first of its kind, in-person experience that combines investing, entrepreneurship, pop culture, and entertainment in a festival setting. The festival is where commerce and culture meet at a unique intersection for the empowerment of our community. Invest Fest is connecting people from all over the world. With over 50,000 attendees throughout the weekend, Invest Fest is one of largest financial conferences in the world bringing the world closer together through conversation, economic education, and networking opportunities all geared towards exposing this new audience to the benefits of investing.

About Earn Your Leisure
The Earn Your Leisure platform provides listeners with behind-the-scenes financial knowledge across entertainment and sports industries, while highlighting entrepreneurs' backstories, breaking down business models, and examining the latest trends in finance. The podcast blends insights from a typical college business class with current popular culture, offering listeners a unique and exciting look into the world of business in a fresh new way. Earn Your Leisure has a community of over 1,500,000 followers on social media, and 1,500,000 YouTube subscribers. For more about Earn Your Leisure, visit www.earnyourleisure.com.

Alyssa Ashley
First and Last PR
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