Paulana Lamonier

Black People Will Swim, as the name suggests, is on a mission to smash the stereotype that black people don't swim. In addition to offering low-cost swimming lessons for both children and adults, BPWS wants to build a community of black swimmers through education and spreading awareness. ‘Our goal is to teach 2,000 black people and people of color how to swim within our first three years of business,’ says founder Paulana Lamonier. Paulana intends to use the fund's grant money to kickstart new swimming programs, train and hire instructors, and launch new merchandise.