Court enters judgment in favor of all defendants and granted Hello Alice’s motion to dismiss the case brought on by America First Legal
The little guys with big dreams won today. At Hello Alice, we have always been a small business advocating for small business. For the last twelve months, we have been fighting extremists that would take capital away from some of the smartest entrepreneurs in the country.
Today, we can all take a deep breath as we announce the dismissal of the lawsuit brought against Hello Alice by Stephen Miller and America First Legal. The Court stated that it “enters judgment in favor of all defendants.” The suit, which attempted to undermine Hello Alice’s commitment to provide equitable access to capital through grants for underrepresented entrepreneurs, has been dismissed by a federal judge.
This resolution marks a pivotal moment not only for our company and community, but for the broader small business community of over 33 million entrepreneurs and over 61 million people they employ across the United States. Facing a labor shortage, heightened interest rates, and inflation, this country needs you, its small business owners, and you, in return, need the capital and resources that programs like Hello Alice provide. We are thrilled for the judgment in favor of Hello Alice, as this represents one less threat to our nation’s small business community and economy.
Our lawyer and hero, Neal Katyal of Hogan Lovells, said it best, “This beats back a meritless lawsuit and makes clear that the federal courts will not hear weak challenges such as these. The dismissal of this case is significant because the lawsuit would make it more difficult for diverse small businesses to compete in today’s economy. The court ruled that this lawsuit is now over.”
We remain steadfast in our commitment to each of you 1.5 million entrepreneurs who make up the Hello Alice community. You represent the American Dream in all of its iterations, as you create jobs, build our economy, and give back to our communities. When we got sued, we decided the best way to clap back was to fight hard on the right side of history and keep doing what we do best — get more capital to you. We responded to a threat to our grant funding by launching even more grants, as part of Elevate the American Dream. We are proud to say that 49 recipients have been awarded grants, mentorship, and exposure to celebrate small business owners doing epic work in their communities. These, and millions more, are the types of businesses we proudly fight for every day.
Following this decision by the courts, our small but mighty Hello Alice team and our national network of partners are more determined than ever to continue our mission of ensuring small businesses are financially fit, because the strongest force against inequity is financial empowerment. We had to balance every day our financial health with the cost of this lawsuit. Please always check your financial fitness and use our Business Health Score™ to help. Throughout this legal process, Hello Alice has only strengthened our commitment to creating an inclusive ecosystem where every entrepreneur has the chance to succeed. As the most trusted voice in America, this outcome is one for small business owners — not litigious groups — to own.
Elizabeth Gore and Carolyn Rodz, Hello Alice Cofounders
