Featured in WFAA
Midday News with Kara Sewell
The 2019 Veteran Business Battle at Rice University showed us many possibilities for expanding our business!
We were nominated by our peers and judges for best business booth.
On November 3, 2026
FC Dallas Small Business Boost
On November 3, 2026, And I Like It™ won $15,000 through the FC Dallas Small Business Boost presented by UnitedHealthcare. Our founder, U.S. Navy veteran Ericka McKim, pitched at Toyota Stadium, sharing how we grew from selling 60 Cheesecake Cups at our first farmers market to building a North Texas dessert business.
The award will help us purchase sealing equipment designed to extend the refrigerated shelf life of our gluten-free, no added sugar Cheesecake Cups. It’s a step toward bringing our cheesecakes to more grocery stores, stadiums, and arenas. We’re grateful to FC Dallas and UnitedHealthcare for helping us take that next step.
Goldman Sachs
10,000 Small Business Alumni
Our founder Ericka McKim is a alumnus of the 19 Cohort of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program. We developed a growth plan for, And I Like and formed part of a community of small business owners in the DFW area.
Arthur H. and Mary E. Wilson
Top Venture Impacting Veterans Award
Formally presented in August of 2022 at the DAV and Auxiliary National Convention in Orlando, Florida. Our founder Ericka McKim was selected from participants of the Acceleration Challenge at the Veteran EDGE conference. The award recognizes her as a promising entrepreneur and supports her journey as a disabled veteran small business owner. Thanks to this award, we purchased machinery to help speed up the process of our sugar substitutes, which allowed us to expand our business significantly.
Awards
D’Aniello Family FoundationThe Acceleration Challenge
Our business was part of the prestigious Acceleration Challenge the D’Aniello Family Foundation sponsored in October 2021. The challenge allowed Veteran-owned businesses to attend the Veteran EDGE conference organized by Syracuse University. As one of the ten selected participants, we engaged in a series of activities and workshops designed to identify and overcome barriers in our business. This opportunity has equipped us to effectively leverage the Veteran EDGE conference’s resources.
FedEx Entrepreneur Fund 2022Hello Alice & GEN
In collaboration with Hello Alice and Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN), the FedEx Entrepreneur Fund provided grants to the 30 small businesses selected from a pool of over 18,500 applicants. This grant, specifically designed for veteran entrepreneurs and small business owners with disabilities, recognized the resilience and innovation within our community. We were honored to be among the recipients, and our achievements were celebrated during Global Entrepreneurship Week from November 14 to 20. This movement, supported by GEN and FedEx, aimed to empower aspiring entrepreneurs worldwide, making it easier for anyone, anywhere to start and scale a business.
