EBay : 2021 Up & Running Grant Recipients

This month - just in time for the holidays and the New Year - we announced our 2021 class of Up & Running Grant recipients. These 50 eBay sellers were awarded $10,000 to help grow their businesses, along with access to additional training resources and mentorship.

This is the second consecutive year we've run this grant program, and we received more than 10,000 powerful submissions. As you can imagine, choosing from such a strong pool of applicants was really tough.

Our 2021 recipients come from 25 different states and sell in a wide variety of categories, including apparel, sneakers, luxury watches, handbags, trading cards, comics, electronics, sports equipment, P&A, and more.

What's really cool is the unique story behind each and every winner… There's Alex Carrera, whose storeSave A Suitsells gently owned suits to benefit veterans, andNandaiMo, a seller who is part of our Authenticity Guarantee program and uses her eBay store to help other local businesses sell globally. Jude Lugo, the founder ofJ&L Making A Difference, started his eBay business with $1 of his birthday money in the 7thgrade, and Tamara Baker, the founder ofSneaker Solecial, resells sneakers while (remarkably) pursuing her Ph.D. in higher education.

I was even lucky enough to deliver the news personally to Rachid Saint Jean fromNISMOPARwho started out refurbishing old computers and laptops, until too many spare parts catapulted him into OEM P&A. Talk about leaping from one hot category to the next!

While each seller's story is different, they all share a common thread: a passion for community and connection. You can see what I mean by checking out the inspiring list of this year's granteeshere, which even features a fun (and heartwarming)videocapturing the reactions of surprised sellers.

As you know, I'm so proud to work at eBay where your entrepreneurial spirit is celebrated every day. Youare our purpose - to support you as you launch, partner with you as you grow, and to build a community along the way.

So, to this year's grantees: congratulations. To every applicant, thank you for your stories, for your passion and your partnership. And most importantly - to each and all of you - thank you for selling on eBay.

Jordan Sweetnam