Houston fashion blogger Dede Raad, founder of Dress Up Buttercup, recently launched an innovative pitch series called “Build Up Buttercup.” After growing her Instagram audience to over a million followers, Raad felt the pressure to expand her business, but didn’t feel inspired to start her own brand. Instead, she saw an opportunity to use her social media community to support small business owners.

Raad put out a call to her followers to find founders with growing brands, and the response was overwhelming. The “Build Up Buttercup” initiative featured small business pitches for a select group of investors, resulting in eight business pitches across four episodes uploaded to Dress Up Buttercup’s page that garnered hundreds of thousands of views. The initiative also resulted in a handful of investments and cash prizes.

Raad’s husband, Ted, and fellow investors from Houston-based investment firms Curate Capital and Trend Ventures participated in the event. Of the eight that pitched, four companies received investments. Dress Up Buttercup invested in Houston-based jewelry company Burdlife and children’s clothing brand Poppy Kids. Trend Ventures made investments in Cold Cork and Houston-based tech startup, AIM7, which closed its seed round in December.

Raad is interested in hosting another edition of “Build Up Buttercup” in the future, but for now, she is focused on her two new brands. Her role within both of the companies is very hands-on, and she meets with the founders at least once a week. Raad also markets both brands to her Instagram community, helping to support and promote small businesses.

The “Build Up Buttercup” initiative is just one example of how Dress Up Buttercup is making a difference in small business empowerment and the future of entrepreneurship. Come discover how Houston’s fashion community is inspiring innovation and growth.