FRISCO, Texas (March 27, 2024) – FC Dallas announced today that Bagelology and Unica Enterprises are the two Dallas/Fort Worth-based businesses selected for the club’s 2024 Homegrown Partner Program class. FC Dallas launched the innovative Homegrown Partner Program, supported by Gallagher, in June 2020 to help DFW-based Minority-owned enterprises grow their businesses and get exposure to a global sports brand by partnering with FC Dallas. The 2024 class brings the total of FC Dallas Homegrown Partners to 17.
"We're thrilled to unveil our 2024 Homegrown Partner Program class and work with these incredibly strong local businesses,” said FC Dallas President Dan Hunt. “We continue to see remarkable growth and success with our Homegrown Partners and look forward to providing Bagelology and Unica Enterprises customized support to help them continue creating positive economic and social impact in 2024 and beyond.”
Each member of the 2024 Homegrown Partner Program class will receive a customized FC Dallas corporate partnership package. FC Dallas is committing more than $200,000 to its Homegrown Partners in 2024, bringing the total commitment for this initiative to more than $1.7 million.
“Gallagher is proud to stand alongside FC Dallas in its pursuit of driving economic and social impact in North Texas,” said Gallagher Area Vice President Michael Nardiello. “Both Unica Enterprises and Bagelology epitomize what the Homegrown Partner Program stands for and we are thrilled to witness the positive influence this partnership will have on their businesses.”
The two local businesses selected for the 2024 Homegrown Partner Program are:
- **Bagelology** – a women-owned bagel brand that produces made-from-scratch bagels, boiled and baked daily in true East Coast style. Bagelology specializes in unique items like its popular Za’atar bagel, Pistachio Blossom Cream Cheese and Brisket Bacon.
- **Unica Enterprises** – a commercial janitorial provider that offers a variety of services ranging from general day-to-day cleaning to construction clean-up. Unica serves manufacturing plants, private schools, churches, food processing companies, local restaurants, general construction companies as well as government buildings.
2024 Homegrown Partner Quotes
“We’re excited to be selected as a member of the 2024 Homegrown Partner Program class. It's a program that really gives back and we look forward to learning and growing during this upcoming year and finding new ways to give back to our community.”
Bagelology co-owner Fadia Anani
“We are grateful for this opportunity to partner with FC Dallas. It’s been a long five years working to establish Bagelology, and the news that we were chosen was the best schmear to our bagel!”
Bagelology co-owner Ameira Olayan
“I'm happy that we are going to be with such a great team and know that we're being supported by FC Dallas. I hope that we can serve as examples for other Latinas in Dallas hoping to start their own businesses.”
Unica Enterprises owner and Chief Executive Officer Nancy Galvan
“As a lifelong FC Dallas fan, I’m very familiar with the club’s Homegrown players. We applied for the Homegrown Partner Program for the same exact reason for our business. We like to see ourselves as an up-and-coming company in the region. Hopefully, after we graduate from the program, people will look at us and say ‘Hey, remember Unica? They graduated three or four years ago from the Homegrown Partner Program. Look at them now and look at all the great things they're going for their community.’ That’s what we hope to accomplish in the program.”
Unica Enterprises Chief Operating Officer Eric Marceleno
The Homegrown Partner Program has had three previous cohorts with each featuring five DFW-based businesses bringing the total to 15 businesses that have completed the program:
- 2021: Casa M Spice, GRIT Fitness, Reveal Suits, Smokey John’s Bar-B-Que and Urban Hydration
- 2022: The Cookie Society, Esposure, The Good Jerky, iCode, Southwest Mobile Advertising
- 2023: Avery’s Savory Popcorn, Flatrock Smokehouse BBQ, Hustle Clean, Oasis Accents, Sol Dias Ice Cream
For more on the Homegrown Partner Program and the 2024 class, please visit **FCDallas.com/HomegrownPartners.**
ABOUT FC DALLAS
FC Dallas is owned by Hunt Sports LLC and is committed to creating championship moments on and off the pitch. Since being purchased from Major League Soccer in 2003, FC Dallas has developed the 145-acre Toyota Stadium and Soccer Center in Frisco, Texas where it plays its home matches. FC Dallas and its affiliates operate the MLS NEXT Academy, boys’ and girls’ youth programs as well as MLS NEXT Pro’s North Texas SC. FC Dallas won the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 1997 and 2016 while also winning the MLS Supporters’ Shield in 2016.
