Paris Hilton launches recovery fund for women business owners after disasters

The pop culture star's new initiative aims to support female small-business owners impacted by disasters nationwide.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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Paris Hilton has launched a new national fund called the Back in Business Recovery Fund to help women-owned small businesses recover after disasters. Hilton is donating $350,000 to kick-start the fund, with a goal to raise at least $1 million by the end of March. The fund will partner with GoFundMe.org and local women's business centers to identify and support impacted women-owned businesses with unrestricted grants of up to $25,000.

Why it matters

Women-owned businesses make up 39% of all businesses in the U.S., but they often face disproportionate challenges in accessing capital and resources, especially after disasters. Hilton's new initiative aims to provide critical support to help these businesses recover and rebuild, preserving jobs and the fabric of local communities.

The details

Hilton and her 11:11 Media Impact organization previously deployed over $1 million in cash grants to 50 women-owned small businesses in the Los Angeles area after the 2025 wildfires. The new national fund will expand this model, partnering with GoFundMe.org and local women's business centers to identify and support impacted women entrepreneurs across the country.

  • Hilton launched the Back in Business Recovery Fund on March 9, 2026.
  • The fund aims to raise at least $1 million by the end of March 2026.

The players

Paris Hilton

A pop culture star, advocate, and entrepreneur who launched the Back in Business Recovery Fund to support women-owned small businesses impacted by disasters.

11:11 Media Impact

Hilton's social impact organization that is partnering with GoFundMe.org on the new recovery fund.

GoFundMe.org

The philanthropic arm of the fundraising platform GoFundMe, which is contributing $100,000 to the launch of the Back in Business Recovery Fund.

Renata Ortega

The owner of Orla Floral Studio, a floral design company that received a grant from Hilton's previous LA-based recovery program after the 2025 wildfires.

Rebecca Grone

The director of 11:11 Media Impact, Hilton's social impact organization.

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What they’re saying

“Women-owned businesses are really the heart of so many of these communities. I want to be able to lift up and support them, shine a light on them and really make a difference in their lives.”

— Paris Hilton (The Associated Press)

“Nothing prepares you for that amount of loss. I didn't think I was going to be able to get back on my feet because it took me years to be able to come up with the inventory I had.”

— Renata Ortega, Owner, Orla Floral Studio (The Associated Press)

“You have to keep going and you have keep pushing and fighting forward, because if somebody like Paris Hilton notices your story and thinks you're important, then you have to believe in yourself and also think that you're important.”

— Renata Ortega, Owner, Orla Floral Studio (The Associated Press)

What’s next

Several of the LA grantees, including Renata Ortega, will join Paris Hilton on Monday afternoon to ring the New York Stock Exchange closing bell, marking International Women's Day.

The takeaway

Paris Hilton's new national recovery fund aims to provide critical support to help women-owned small businesses bounce back after disasters, addressing the disproportionate challenges these entrepreneurs often face in accessing capital and resources. By partnering with local women's business centers, the fund can quickly identify and assist impacted businesses, preserving jobs and the fabric of communities.