Power to Prosper Minority Business Accelerator Powered by Interise
Get the executive education, management know-how and business support system you need to grow your established small business through this intensive, cohort-based program. No previous degree required, just the willingness to work on your business, not just in it! If you are ready to prosper, apply to GLI’s Power to Prosper Minority Business Accelerator, powered by Interise, and learn how to take your business to the next level.
GLI’s Power to Prosper Minority Business Accelerator Powered by Interise is designed for any minority, women, LBGTQ+, veteran, or disabled-owned small business owners who wants to take their business to the next level within the region. The program connects participants with companies in need of their services. This hands-on, cohort-style program provides business owners with the knowledge, resources, and networks necessary for businesses to scale. GLI Power to Prosper Minority Business Accelerator Powered by Interise will begin April 2024 and will ultimately contribute to the economic vitality of the Greater Louisville region.
Valued at over $15,000 per student but provided free of charge, GLI’s Power to Prosper Minority Business Accelerator will provide participants with the tools to advance their business operations, financial management, marketing and sales, human resources, business strategy development, access to capital, and contract development. GLI’s Power to Prosper Minority Business Accelerator is a part of the NOW Louisville strategic plan, which outlines inclusion as one of six pillars of focus over the next five years. The program is funded through generous contributions from the region’s top companies who continue to commit to advancing racial equity within the region.
Program curriculum is based off Interise’s Street-Wise ‘MBA’™ model which uses a peer-learning method to provide small business owners with the knowledge, know-how, and networks necessary to grow and scale.
What You Will Learn Throughout the Program:
- Business development strategies
- Strategic planning
- Finance and financial management
- Marketing/sales
- Human resources
- Accessing capital, and contracting with the government and major corporations
Key Program Dates for 2025:
- Application Open: November 6, 2024
- Application Deadline: March 14, 2025
- Program Kickoff: Mid-April 2025
- Program Graduation: November 2025
Basic Eligibility Requirements:
- One other full-time employee besides the owner(s)
- Been in business at least 2 years
- Willingness and ability to attend class, complete mandatory assignments and complete program surveys as requested
- Be a business with a net revenue of at least $200,000
National Program Results Based on 2019 Assessment Data, collected by Interise:
- 69% of alumni businesses increased or maintained their annual revenues, with an average annual revenue growth of 21%.
- 80% of alumni businesses reported being profitable. $526 million in government contracting secured by alumni businesses.
- 67% of alumni CEOs stay connected to fellow participants, with 32% doing business with each other. 63% of alumni businesses added or retained jobs.
This program yields real results. Power to Prosper MBA Cohort #1 participants reported the following outcomes for their business:
- 100% program satisfaction
- 92% added or maintained positions
- 2 full-time jobs created per business, 86 jobs created or retained in total
- 70% of the businesses now offer vacation time
- 91% are following the growth plan they developed in the program
- 57% average revenue growth for businesses
- 90% reported being profitable
- 42% received financing to help grow their business
- 100% hired from the local community
Applications for next year’s Power to Prosper MBA program open on November 6th, 2024. Please email Eric Jordan with any questions.
This application will be used to evaluate applicant eligibility into the MBA program. While acceptance is not guaranteed, we encourage you to take the first step toward progress and apply. We are looking to help small businesses that are ready to grow! Please contact the Program Managers for additional information.
Where are our alumni now? Find out here.
Connect with alumni of the MBA program through the Alumni Directory.
Dana Johnson: Vice President of Economic Inclusion
502.625.0155
[email protected]
Eric Jordan: Senior Manager of Economic Inclusion
502.625.0128
[email protected]
Interested in learning more? Hear from our inaugural program graduates from 2021: