TWU grant program gives boost to women-owned startups

The award-winning Center for Women Entrepreneurs (CWE), a program from the Jane Nelson Institute for Women’s Leadership at Texas Women’s University, awards yearly grants that are transformative to the women who receive them. 

Creating a program for underserved children who don’t have access to high-quality music education was always a life-long goal for Nicole Boutros Melrose. As a young child growing up  experiencing trauma, playing the violin provided her with a way to express herself and she wanted to offer that life-altering experience to others.  

After accomplishing that goal and impacting over 300 families in East Dallas with a successful string program for underserved children, Melrose wanted to do more. People started to ask questions about the box violins that she made by hand. She realized that she needed to create a product in addition to working with educators in areas such as trauma identification and beginning strings.  

In 2021, she founded her new business, StringRise, and filed a patent for her box instruments and teaching equipment. Around the same time, she saw a Facebook post from Texas Woman’s University about grants for women-owned businesses in Texas. 

“As a first-generation Arab American, I have encountered unique challenges in navigating the entrepreneurial world, often without a strong network or support system,” Melrose said. “When I came across the TWU grant, I saw it as an incredible chance to not only elevate my business, but also to represent the diversity of Texas women entrepreneurs. I knew this grant could be a powerful catalyst for my growth, allowing me to be supported for the next phase of my business.” 

Melrose applied for a StartHER grant, and was one of the 25 awardees in 2023 to receive a $5,000 grant from CWE.  

The CWE provides the tools for women-owned Texas businesses to succeed, including business advising, funding, networking, training and resources. Since 2018, CWE has awarded more than $2.3 million in grants to women entrepreneurs across the state, focusing on startups, women veterans and rural businesses. 

Among the CWE’s specific programs aimed at boosting entrepreneurial activities is the StartHER Grant, which supports women-owned startups in launching new initiatives and driving early-stage growth through innovative projects. The program began in 2018, and has since awarded $625,000 in grant funding to 125 women across Texas.  

When Melrose received word that she had received the StartHER grant, she had just finished the expensive process of getting the patents and was focused on producing high-quality products that could get into retail. 

“Our beta launches had gone really well, but those products were 3D printed, and we knew we needed to take the next step by getting a mold made for our products,” Melrose said. “The grant made that possible—it allowed us to start the molding process, and now we’re officially in retail stores and growing. The product is doing really well, and the StartHER grant made that possible.” 

The StringRise products are buildable string kits designed to teach students about posture, positioning and sound production, while mini bows and frog slides help students learn how to hold the bow with a lightweight object that mimics the real thing. 

“Underlying every aspect of StringRise is accessibility — we are working for the thriving and equitable future of string education, in which every student can have access to the tools and resources to play their instrument at a high level,” Melrose said. “Music has transformed my life and the lives of the students I have worked with and as StringRise grows, I am excited to see more lives transformed by the power of music.” 

Melrose says the award helped facilitate her fledgling business venture. 

“In the end, we are so grateful that we did not have to rely on our own resilience, and that the TWU grant was so supportive every step of the way,” Melrose said.  

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