CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — The Chesapeake-based olive oil company, Emblem Olive Oil, secured a $1.3 million United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) contract to help Native Americans live healthier lives. Chasity Pritchett, Emblem Olive Oil Founder & CEO told 10 On Your Side she is the only Black female in the world with a extra virgin and infused olive oil company.  "I am the only Black female in the world with the extra virgin and infused olive oil company," Pritchett said. "My olive oil is grown right here in the U.S. Now, I distribute to millions and millions of individuals around the world." Pritchett founded Emblem Olive Oil in Chesapeake in 2019 after researching the benefits of extra virgin olive oil. "I grew up in the South watching my grandmother cook and not really knowing a lot about olive oil," Pritchett said. "I had an opportunity... Someone infused some Jalapeño peppers from their garden into olive oil and they let me sample it. I was like, 'Oh my gosh, this tastes delicious.' In my mind, I was like let me research olive oil to see what it's about. As I'm researching and I see that all of the health benefits of olive oil — prevent and reverse heart disease, helps with high cholesterol, ADHD and depression." Through her research, she learned there were no Black people within the olive oil industry.  "I'm thinking, 'how is this information reaching the people that live around me?' I saw there was a need and I'm like, you know what? I'm going to start this olive oil company! I got mentors from Australia and Texas (who I still work with to this day), and I started it within six months right here in Chesapeake, Virginia," said Pritchett . COURTESY OF EMBLEM OLIVE OIL COURTESY OF EMBLEM OLIVE OIL COURTESY OF EMBLEM OLIVE OIL Earlier this year, Emblem Olive Oil received a $50,000 loan through LISC Hampton Roads' Expand 757 Small Business Loan program.  LISC Hampton Roads is a Local Initiatives Support Corporation, which is a national nonprofit organization. "The Expand 757 program is supported by LISC Hampton Roads," said Ginnele Shonyo, LISC Hampton Roads lending program officer. "It's a 0% no fee program that we help to facilitate and get out to the local community. The purpose of this loan program is really to help small businesses in Hampton Roads expand, to be able to create jobs and hopefully build wealth." The loan with Emblem will have a six-month term with no interest and no payments.  "It gives them an opportunity to really grow their business and start putting the product out there, generating those revenues to be able to repay back the loan," Shonyo said. "Then there's a three-year period in which she'll be repaying the step back. The great thing about this debt is that the money gets recycled back into the Hampton Roads area, so as she repays this debt back, we're able to circulate that back out to the next person. This isn't a one and done program on the program." Pritchett believes the money from the Expand 757 Small Business Loan program helped her to secure two USDA contracts. "[For] the USDA contract, they wanted millions of bottles of olive oil," Pritchett said. "I needed some upfront capital in order to make this happen. I reached out to LISC [Hampton Roads, saying] 'I have this going on. I just need to borrow it for a couple of months. ... Help me to get the funds.' The communication was great. They were 'Team Emblem Olive Oil.' I was so thankful that they were just on the project and wanting to really see me succeed on this contract. LISC was able to allow me to borrow the $50,000. "I sent a blind email. I didn't know who I was reaching out to, but it happened to be the USDA. ... I was trying to get my olive oil for the government. They told me they were working on this project and gave me all this information. I'm like, I want to be a part of this project because I don't just sell olive oil. I am a researcher and an expert on olive oil." The two USDA contracts are each worth $1.3 million. "This project is serving Native Americans on their reservations for them, encouraging those individuals to eat healthier and cook with quality food that is provided by the U.S.," Pritchett said. "I helped create this solicitation, giving them the tools as far as how to [have] a great olive oil — the PH level, the acidity level and all of this information. That didn't mean that I was going to get the bid. I am able to continue to move along through these contracts with no stress. It's been such a blessing." Emblem Olive Oil is available inside of the Chrysler Museum in the gift shop. The flavors are also available on Amazon and Emblemoliveoil.com.