Wilmington entrepreneur Stephanie Bolton was selected to join the 2021 cohort of the Tory Burch Foundation, created by the international fashion designer to give early-stage, female-owned businesses a better opportunity for success, a news release stated.  

Bolton, owner of Patriot Roofing, is a fan of Tory Burch and has regularly attended Tory Burch Foundation educational webinars, according to the release.

“I applied because as a female owner in a male-dominated industry it’s been hard to find good mentors or find other owners that want to push our industry forward," Bolton said in the release. "Many of the construction owners I meet want to do it the same way my grandfather did. While I loved and respected my grandfather, it’s time to push the construction industry forward.”

Bolton was one of 50 selected from more than 1,000 applicants. In addition to a $5,000 scholarship, Bolton will join the yearlong program that provides access to a peer-to-peer network, an inventory-loan fund and training sessions by Burch and her staff.

Patriot Roofing is a 43-year-old general contractor that specializes in exterior renovations (roofing, siding, gutters, windows and doors) for residential, commercial and government buildings, according to the release. The firm, which has offices in Wilmington and Raleigh, also tackles renovation projects, including historic preservation and reuse adaptations.

Bolton, a graduate of Bowling Green State University and Stetson University College of Law, took ownership of Patriot Roofing after her brother-in-law's unexpected death in 2019.