Poppy Hand-Crafted Popcorn Helping Asheville Entrepreneurs Rebuild after Hurricane Helene
December 12, 2024 | 3 min to read
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Poppy Hand-Crafted Popcorn is aiding local entrepreneurs in Western North Carolina by donating $2 from every Asheville Mix Artist Bag sold to the Optimist Venture fund, aiming to raise $1 million by 2025. The fund combines funding with an accelerator program, supporting small businesses devastated by Hurricane Helene. Founder Ginger Frank, along with Jeffrey Kaplan, seeks to foster community recovery through innovative venture philanthropy. Other local companies are also joining this impactful initiative.
$2 from every bag of Asheville Mix Sold Goes into New Fund Set Up to Assist Entrepreneurs in Western North Carolina
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Asheville-based Poppy Hand-Crafted Popcorn is helping local entrepreneurs rebuild their dreams after Hurricane Helene destroyed their buildings, inventory, and profit centers across the region. Poppy is donating $2 from every limited-edition Asheville Mix Artist Bag sold on its website to the Optimist Venture fund with a goal of raising one million dollars for the fund by the end of 2025.
The Artist Bag, designed by Asheville-based illustrator Annie Riker, is filled with the Asheville Mix which combines two Poppy favorites—White Cheddar and Salted Caramel popcorn—for a sweet and savory mix that is as special as its namesake. The Optimist Venture fund, into which Poppy will be making its donations, is a unique new fund that combines funding with an accelerator program to blend community support with venture philanthropy, reinvesting in the community and setting these entrepreneurs up for success.
Poppy, which celebrated 10 years in business around the same time as Helene hit the region, experienced minimal damage to its production facility. However, due to power outages and a lack of clean water, it could not produce and ship popcorn during one of its busiest months.
“The storm’s aftermath has been devastating. There was a lot of loss of life during this storm that people aren’t talking about, and I feel very lucky to have simply lost revenue and not people or infrastructure,” said Ginger Frank, Poppy Founder and CEO. “Many of Asheville’s small businesses lost so much more than Poppy did, and I was compelled to find a way to help. This fund will help us make a real impact in their efforts to rebuild. Anyone who has ever visited knows we wouldn’t be Asheville without our small businesses.”
Frank partnered with Jeffrey Kaplan, Executive Director of Venture Asheville, to form Optimist Ventures, backed by the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce. Inspired by Frank’s idea to help, other local companies, including Asheville Tea Company, Devil’s Foot Beverage Co., and Hi-Wire Brewing, will soon roll out similar initiatives to contribute to Optimist Ventures.
“The fund we created is a new kind of venture philanthropy that matches grant dollars and private investment to create a unique package for entrepreneurs to help them recover and stabilize for future growth,” shares Kaplan. “You don’t have to be local to Western Carolina to become a donor or investor; dollar for dollar, every piece of it goes into a real company in a hard-hit region.”
For more information on Poppy Hand-Crafted Popcorn, visit www.poppyhandcraftedpopcorn.com. For more information on Optimist Ventures, visit OptimistVentures.co.
ABOUT POPPY HANDCRAFTED POPCORN
Poppy Hand-Crafted Popcorn is the best popcorn you will ever eat. With a modest budget and strong work ethic, Poppy began as a small retail shop in Asheville, NC, in 2014. The brand’s mission was clear: to use real ingredients, craft unique flavors, and make popcorn enjoyable. More than a treat, Poppy is a celebration. And now, it’s a snack with impact.