Pinterest on Wednesday announced the evolution of its Creator Inclusion Fund, now rebranded as the Pinterest Inclusion Fund.
In collaboration with Shopify’s Build Black and Build Native programs, this expanded initiative will allow small business owners from underrepresented backgrounds to apply for support. Previously, the fund was accessible only to traditional content creators.
This new iteration marks a shift in Pinterest’s focus from traditional creators to creative entrepreneurs. The fund, which serves as a six-week accelerator program, provides founders with coaching on using Pinterest to grow their brands and businesses.
Launched in the U.S. and Canada, the program aims to expand to other countries, including Brazil, India, France, and Argentina, in the near future.
Selected small businesses will gain access to educational and financial resources, including the ability to integrate their Shopify accounts with Pinterest.
They will also receive training sessions from Shopify, mentorship, monetary stipends, and paid subscriptions to workplace SaaS tools.
Initiated in 2021, the Pinterest Inclusion Fund was designed to create more opportunities for underrepresented creators—defined broadly to include members of the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, plus-sized individuals, and those identifying as BIPOC. Pinterest has invested over $3.3 million in the program and supported more than 150 participants globally.
Pinterest’s ongoing commitment includes quarterly investments in diverse sectors. With the new program, the company will continue its quarterly investments but will now focus on international markets.
Traditional creators who are small business merchants or represented by boutique agencies are still eligible to apply.
The expansion of the Inclusion Fund comes at a time when many companies are reevaluating their diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Despite the challenges and legal risks that have arisen since the murder of George Floyd in 2022, Pinterest remains steadfast in its mission.
“It’s critical that the diversity of our users is reflected within the inspiration they search, save, and shop from,” said Zeny Shifferaw, Pinterest’s global inclusion content partnership lead, told TechCrunch.
“This program is uniquely designed to increase pathways of success for content producers who’ve been disproportionately underrepresented, allowing them to grow and reach new audiences and customers on the platform.”
