After shifting the focus and format of the It Takes A Village Pre-Accelerator Program at the top of the year - which included prioritizing traction over investments, shortening the time frame from 6-Months to 16 weeks, and structuring a sustainable startup curriculum - the results from our third graduating cohort speak volumes!

By-The-Numbers 

During 16-Weeks, combined our 9 Pre-Accelerator Startups led by women and people of color:

• Generated $123K in Revenue 
• Raised $45K in Seed Investments
• Secured 25 Paid Pilots 

Now having 3 cohorts successfully completing our Pre-Accelerator program, check out the overall numbers: 

• $1.9M Revenue Generated 
• $480K+ Seed Investments
• 30 Graduates (Women & People of Color) 

These numbers reflect our mission for this program to help diverse led startups build traction, sustainability, and longevity by giving them access to the resources, network, and community needed to get to the next level.  

Beyond The Numbers

Over the course of 16 weeks, this amazing group founders did more than just build their businesses but they also built genuine relationships with one another that will last a lifetime.

“Being apart of the It Takes A Village Pre-Accelerator I have 1) acquired 24 paying clients since the program began after consulting with advisors on the business model 2) saved money on development costs with the customer discovery process and advisor insight on MVP [and] 3) learned how to pitch the business to consumers and sponsors”

- Umama Kibria, SweatPack

“ATV has definitely helped give me confidence in pitching my business and helped in locking down overall business strategy. This has led to us being participants in multiple pitch competitions since joining the program.”

- DuMarkus Davis, MusicBuk

Graduation

We celebrated the graduation of our third cohort where these 9 amazing companies were on full display! They spent the evening showcasing their products and pitching to a packed house of influencers, investors, and business leaders in the Atlanta startup community.

We even made a special announcement that Audi will be the official sponsor for the It Takes A Village Graduation Parties!  They will also be sponsoring a 12-Month Scholarship which was awarded to Umama Kibria of SweatPack.

What’s Next?!

Applications are officially OPEN for our fourth cohort starting in Fall ‘19 (August 2nd). If you know of a startup led by a woman and person of color spread the word and APPLY TODAY!