About Us

The Accelerator is a product of the Cincinnati Action Now (CAN) Commission, which was spawned from Cincinnati’s civil unrest of 2001. Out of a recommendation from the CAN Commission, the Cincinnati Minority Business Accelerator was created to address the racial disparities in business ownership in the region, drive economic activity, and increase employment in underemployed segments. The climate and circumstances in Cincinnati during this time not only catalyzed action, but also centered the conversation on economic solutions.

The Accelerator’s initial portfolio consisted of 20 companies with average revenues of $6.7 million. To date, 67 companies with average annual revenues of approximately $30 million have been supported by the Accelerator.

The Accelerator provides individually tailored advisory support and coaching to help Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) acquire the resources they need to excel: a strong business strategy, access to capital, and connections within corporate organizations.

The Accelerator also works with Goal Setter anchor customers (mostly mid-cap and large-cap corporates) and aims to help them meet their diversity & inclusion goals by connecting the Goal Setter to minority-owned portfolio companies to help meet their purchasing needs.

Mission

To increase economic inclusion and empowerment in the Cincinnati region by providing customized analysis, resources, and funding to accelerate the growth of scalable, Minority-owned businesses

Vision & Bold Goal

Grow the aggregate annual revenues of Accelerator portfolio companies to $2Billion and create 5,000 total jobs in the Cincinnati MSA by 2025.

Supporting Our Dedicated Staff and the MBE Community We Serve

The Accelerator is grateful to our local funding partners for helping us respond to the immediate and emerging needs of the businesses we support. We applaud your efforts and value your trust and partnership.