Santos Agustin and Jennifer Wong became friends when they both worked in the fashion industry. The two shared an interest in ethically sourced and manufactured, sustainable products, and after they adopted dogs and became devoted pet parents, they decided to form a business that combined their passions.

Ms. Agustin and Ms. Wong co-founded Pet Project Studio in late 2019. They committed to work with low-income, immigrant and otherwise marginalized communities of women both in New York and around the world to source their goods, and built partnerships in Ghana, Cambodia, Nepal, Peru, and Guatemala. Even as the pandemic disrupted business operations across the city and around the world, Ms. Agustin and Ms. Wong continued to work, and opened a brick and mortar location in 2021.

Ms. Agustin and Ms. Wong first met with Renaissance in 2022 seeking working capital, as well as funding to help them hire a new employee to grow the business. Renaissance worked with them to complete a loan application package, which was approved for $75,000 and closed in October of that year.

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