The Capital Readiness Program is an 8-week course that will help entrepreneurs and small business owners get connected to funding opportunities through our network of capital advocates. It starts Jan 23 and runs for 60 minutes from 2-3pm ET every Tuesday for 8 weeks. The course will also have on-demand recordings.
Register by January 22, 2024:
https://www.nationalace.org/capital-readiness-program
When registering, please select ACC HOUSTON under “How did you hear about the accelerator?”
National ACE Purpose & Funding
National ACE proudly represents 2.65 million AANHPI (Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander) small business owners who collectively employ over 5.1 million people. We collaborate with over 120 affiliate minority chambers and partner organizations across the country. Supported by $2.65 million in MBDA funding over four years, this initiative is dedicated to addressing the pressing challenge faced by AANHPI entrepreneurs – raising capital and effectively operating their businesses. National ACE is working to empower AANHPI small business owners with the resources, knowledge, and connections they need to succeed. By addressing these critical issues we are providing a vital support system for AANHPI entrepreneurs on their journey to success.
Key Components:
Capacity Building: Providing AANHPI entrepreneurs with the knowledge, skills, and resources to excel in the competitive business landscape.
- Business Advising at no-cost to the client to prepare for loan applications and the virtual pitch day with real investors and capital sources
- Business Accelerators to jump start capacity building
- Accelerator 1: January – March run by National ACE to accelerate existing small business owners towards funding
- Accelerator 2: March – May run by ACE NextGen for emerging entrepreneurs to prepare for a pitch day in May
Access to Capital: Facilitating connections with the financial resources needed for growth.
- We have Capital Advocates who specialize in connecting our business accelerator graduates to State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) capital markets in their respective states or territories. They’ll help with debt financing, alternative lending, and connecting business owners to funding.
Access to Networks: Building bridges between AANHPI entrepreneurs and influential business networks.
- In-person networking events, Small Business Roundtables, Virtual Pitch Day
Regional Hubs:
Our services are open to all 50 states however we have two regional virtual hubs:
West Coast Hub: Serving the states of California and Nevada.
East Coast Hub: Covering New York, Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia.
Four-Year Goals (2023-2027)
- Enrolling 1,540 SEDI (Small and Emerging Diverse Initiative) entrepreneurs
- Facilitating the formation and scaling of 616 SEDI businesses.
- Graduating 1,155 SEDI entrepreneurs.
- Assisting in raising $61.6 million in capital.
- Hosting 28 networking events and 80 economic roundtables.
- Conducting 200 SEDI pitches to showcase the potential of our entrepreneurs.
Learn more: https://www.nationalace.org/capital-readiness-program