Pictured: Discover Sarasota Tours Founder and CEO Tammy Hauser.

American Express, in partnership with Main Street America, recently named Discover Sarasota Tours Founder and CEO Tammy Hauser a recipient of its 2022 “Inclusive Backing” grant. Grants of $5,000 were awarded to 120 small business owners who identify as Native, Indigenous, Hispanic, Latinx, LGBTQ+, immigrants, or as refugees. These small businesses were selected with the help of community partners including: HIAS, the Hispanic Federation, Oweesta, and The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce. “I started Discover Sarasota Tours in 2018 as a love story to Sarasota to connect both tourists and locals to the area’s many communities and neighborhoods – a place rich in history, art and culture," said Tammy Hauser, founder & CEO of the trolly tour business. "Growing up with parents from Mexico and Germany, my multi-cultural identity really showed me how important it is to be able to bring communities together – and when moving to Sarasota that’s exactly what I wanted to do." Last year, American Express and Main Street America, created “Inclusive Backing”, a grant program to help underrepresented U.S. small business owners recover from the pandemic and grow their businesses. The program has provided educational resources and $1.65 million in grants to 330 U.S. small business owners from underrepresented communities.

Pictured: Discover Sarasota Tours Founder and CEO Tammy Hauser.