Economic EvolutionAccelerator Program

The Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce introduces the Economic Evolution Accelerator Program, tailored specifically for Black-owned businesses.

Join us for a transformative 12-week educational journey designed to empower you in expanding and strengthening your business.

Apply Today

Who It's For

The program supports early-stage businesses in all sectors and industries. If you are a tax professional, own a restaurant, work in health and wealth, or are an entertainer, this accelerator is for you.

For too long, there have been certain restrictions on access to education, funding, and networks to help Black-owned enterprises become a vital part of the small business ecosystem. Black-owned companies only account for 3% of business in the United States and only 1% of total revenue¹, while Black/African Americans make up 13.6 percent of the population².

The Economic Evolution Accelerator Program, through Congressional Funding and Support from the SBA, has built a program that will quickly turn your business into an enterprise.

_1._{https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/02/21/a-look-at-black-owned-businesses-in-the-u-s/}
_2._{https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/}

Our Focus

The workshop-driven program focuses on mentorship, training, leadership mindset, and technology. Most accelerator programs focus on a particular sector or industry—like technology. Our focus is to provide the education and resources for Black-owned businesses to grow, sustain, and get funding for their business.

The Economic Evolution Accelerator Program encompasses four key categories:

Business Development and Operations
Business Certification
Technical Assistance and Education
Business Scalability, Resilience, and Recovery

Additionally, you will unlock access to invaluable resources and gain the knowledge and skills needed to propel your business forward.

What You'll Learn

What makes the Economic Evolution Accelerator program unique for Black-Owned Businesses is that we offer the following:

Access to Capital

Throughout the workshop, our students will be given fundraising strategies that are innovative and different for every stage company. Unique challenges and opportunities have always been available to Black-owned businesses, which we will help you navigate.

Curated Content

Our curriculum and instructors are designed with you in mind. Our program assists in providing a tried and true approach to business practices, branding, and sales as well as on topics like cyber resilience, AI, and legal contracts. The knowledge base we've put together for Black entrepreneurs and professionals differs substantially from what other cultural groups are taught because of our shared past. Our approach is to heal from generational trauma and propel you to generational wealth.

Customer Service

Serving customers will be one of the cornerstones of our accelerator because customer services are one of the most talked about facets when discussing Black-owned businesses in all sectors. It needs to be taught because it's important to capture new customers and have a high retention rate. The way to do that is to be of service to your community. An idea can be great, but it will materialize once you have customers to service.

Cohort Classes

Entrepreneurship is lonely, and even more so for the Black entrepreneur. You will be in a room, and learning with like-minded people will open up the possibilities to sharing and collaborating, showing that you are not alone. A COHORT is a companion or colleague who shares and sets similar goals for each other and acts as an accountability partner. For Black entrepreneurs and professionals, there is much to share about the challenges unique to this intersection, and together, you will be excited to go through a program with your tribe. The environment is set up for you and your cohort to provide each other with ongoing support as your organizations grow.

The NVBCC Community

The Key to our mission is building and promoting the region's economic growth through education, advocacy, opportunities, and resources. The Northern Virginia Region, the state of Virginia, and the Washington D.C. metro area have a massive impact on the local economy, the United States, and the world. Our focus on collaborative programming through the Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce is a safe and inviting place to learn and network with more significant support. Our program differs from most accelerators, which don't need to invest heavily in community building because their focus is investing. We provide guidance, organizations, and best practices to get funding. However, our most significant investment is in our members. In our Culture.

Before you apply…

It is recommended, but not required for acceptance, that your business have:

At least 2 years of business operations
$50,000 annual revenue
Virginia-registered: If your business is not registered in Virginia, please learn more on the Virginia Foreign Business Registration webpage. It's only $75 to register.
Members of the Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce will be selected first. Learn more about membership here.

Requirements

Participation is mandatory. Three unexcused absences will result in your business being disqualified from participating in the rest of the program.
You must attend every workshop with your webcam ON. Make arrangements for each class, or you will be counted absent.

Workshops

Over an 11 week period, there will be workshops on Tuesday and Thursday of each week. Each week is centered around a particular category, outlined above. (See "What You'll Learn".)
The program will be hosted on Google Classroom for ease of use and increased collaboration.
Instructors will have office hours if students want to gain more information.

Demo Day

After 11 weeks of the intensive and amazing workshop, each student in the cohort will have the opportunity to do pitch their business in front of banks, CDFI (Community Development Financial Institutions), and VC (Venture Capitalist) at our Demo Day.

Alumni Network

After successful completion of the Accelerator, cohorts will have access to an ever-expanding alumni network, provided by NVBCC.

Participation

The accelerator program is broken down into three separate cohorts, that will not exceed 34 business participants. Workshops are three hours each and will occur on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Participation is mandatory.

Important Dates