The partnership celebrates a decade of fostering economic empowerment for women entrepreneurs
HOBOKEN, N.J., Sept. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — SheaMoisture, in partnership with Fifteen Percent Pledge (15PP), is proud to announce the opening of applications for their 2025 Dartmouth Fellowship, celebrating the program’s ten-year anniversary and support of more than 100 entrepreneurs. The collaborative business education program, facilitated with Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business, has equipped women entrepreneurs with the tools, resources, and networks needed to grow and scale their companies since 2015. To highlight the Fellowship’s milestone year, SheaMoisture has partnered with Fifteen Percent Pledge to co-recruit 20 women entrepreneurs across their respective networks to elevate emerging small businesses, including those that are driving impact in Black communities.
“We take immense pride in the achievements of the SheaMoisture Dartmouth Fellowship over the past decade, staying true to our brand DNA of supporting our community and empowering entrepreneurs,” said Obinna Keke, Chief Brand Officer at SheaMoisture. “In today’s challenging economic climate, supporting small businesses is more important than ever. With this context, for the 10th anniversary of the Dartmouth Fellowship, we have strengthened the impact of the program by partnering with industry trailblazer Aurora James and Fifteen Percent Pledge, to combine resources, expertise, and networks to expand our reach and support of entrepreneurs. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and play a vital role in driving innovation and fostering community ecosystems. By equipping entrepreneurs with essential tools, knowledge, and connections, we contribute to building prosperous future for all.”
Fifteen Percent Pledge aims to achieve economic equity by increasing access, visibility, and opportunities for entrepreneurs. SheaMoisture recognizes a partnership with the organization –founded in 2020 by Aurora James—as an impactful opportunity to advance mutual objectives. Through this partnership, both organizations seek to drive community awareness, leverage key thought leadership, and amplify the Fellowship’s impact for greater business prosperity in the US.
“We are absolutely thrilled to partner with SheaMoisture for the tenth year of its Dartmouth Fellowship,” said Aurora James, Founder of the Fifteen Percent Pledge. “This partnership is a brand new format for us, and an exciting step forward in our mission to expand opportunities for emerging businesses. By aligning our efforts with SheaMoisture and Dartmouth, we can provide deserving founders with access to educational resources and a network of peers that will sustain their growth for years to come.” The Dartmouth Fellowship provides entrepreneurs with a valuable opportunity to evaluate their business’ performance, identify strengths and areas of improvement, and gain fundamental business education at one of the world’s top-rated business schools. Each year, SheaMoisture sponsors 20 seats for Fellows to participate in Tuck’s Building A Successful Business program in Hanover, New Hampshire, covering topics like financing your business, marketing strategy, and cash flow management. Following their completion of the course, Fellows are enrolled in Luminary, a global career and personal growth platform dedicated to uplifting, upskilling, and propelling women forward at all stages of their entrepreneurial journey, further bolstering the Fellowship’s impact. To date, the program has offset more than $400K in tuition costs and fees, facilitated an average 6% increase in profit margins, and achieved an average actual revenue growth*of 14.3%. By the end of 2025, The Dartmouth Fellowship will have provided key business education and support to more than 100 entrepreneurs.
Applications for the 2025 Fellowship cohort open on September 18, 2025. Ten entrepreneurs selected from the open applications will join ten additional businesses hand-selected by Fifteen Percent Pledge, as well as other entrepreneurial leaders, to participate in Dartmouth’s Building A Successful Business program December 7-12, 2025. SheaMoisture invites women entrepreneurs in the US and Canada to apply for this transformational opportunity to grow and scale their businesses. Application and full Fellowship criteria can be found HERE. Applications close October 10, 2025 at 11:59pm ET.
ABOUT SHEAMOISTURE:
SheaMoisture champions the beauty, versatility, and the strength of the Black community, celebrating every facet of her journey, from hair to body and beyond. We are here for hair, yes, and her skin, her confidence, her self-expression, and her wellness, too. Our commitment to “no compromise” beauty means SheaMoisture products are infused with select natural ingredients, like shea butter, and ingredients powered by science, fortifying textured hair and melanin skin with the moisture it needs to stay healthy and grow beautifully for limitless versatility.
Shea butter, one of core ingredients, is praised for its hydrating and nourishing properties, and sourced from women-led cooperatives in West Africa, providing fair wages and creating economic opportunities. SheaMoisture leads globally in hair care, bath, body, skin care, baby, and men’s categories, and is distributed in retailers throughout the world. SheaMoisture is a subsidiary of Unilever.
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*Total average from Dartmouth College’s Building a Successful Business Program, as of 2023.
*Net sales refers to net sales value (NSV), which represents gross sales (volume*price) – efficient ordering discounts
ABOUT FIFTEEN PERCENT PLEDGE
The Pledge is a nonprofit organization focused on accelerating small business growth. We envision an economy in which all Americans have the same opportunities to provide for their families, create jobs for their communities, and build a future based on their dreams and creativity. Since launching in 2020, the Pledge has supported thousands of underserved small businesses by providing access to capital, mentorship, skills learning, and opportunities to partner with dozens of companies across the retail, finance, and technology industries.
SOURCE SheaMoisture
