Who We Are
We are a Midwest focused fund scaling minority entrepreneur growth and community impact efforts through investment and advisory solutions.
Nationally less than 1% of equity capital (be that early-stage venture capital or later stage private equity) is invested in African American and Hispanic-owned businesses which perpetuates the preponderance of smaller-scale business enterprises in these communities.
The Minority Business Accelerator Fund I provides equity and flexible debt investments enabling entrepreneurs of color to purchase existing mainstream businesses with no identified business succession plan, as well as providing growth equity capital to help scale existing minority businesses.
How It Works
CREATE NEW MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESS VIA ACQUISITION OF MAINSTREAM FIRMS
MBA Fund I focuses on targeting non-minority owned firms with no identified succession plan in growth industries in which significant gaps remain for minority entrepreneurs.
Partner with area banks, CPAs, LPAs, and centers of influence to understand landscape of mainstream businesses with no succession plan and/or near-term interest in a liquidity event.
ACCELERATING ACCESS TO CAPITAL FOR MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESSES
MBA Fund I focuses on targeting non-minority owned firms with no identified succession plan in growth industries in which significant gaps remain for minority entrepreneurs.
Work with area banks, accounting firms, and law firms to identify targeted middle market clients that lack business succession plans
Identify commercial loan portfolio companies that, post an acquisition or partnership, would be uniquely positioned to capitalize on demand from the Accelerator’s corporate supplier diversity partners
Access the proprietary database and network of partner companies, existing portfolio companies and a nity groups such as the Black Achievers Network
Investment Criteria
To Invest in B2B/G minority business enterprises (with at least $1M in annualized revenue) looking for equity and flexible debt financing to support their company’s early follow-on, growth equity, and acquisition goals.
ABOUT THE MINORITY BUSINESS ACCELERATOR
The Minority Business Accelerator is a nationally recognized best-practice initiative for developing larger-scale, job-creating, minority business enterprises. Now in its 21st year, its founding mission is to accelerate the development of sizeable minority business enterprises, and strengthen and expand the regional entrepreneurial community. From its founding in 2003, the Accelerator has maintained a specific and dedicated focus on preparing African American and Hispanic owned businesses to grow the types of scalable and competitive enterprises that deliver jobs, wealth, and economic impact for communities of color and the broader region as a whole. Since its inception, over 75 larger scale minority-owned businesses have been directly supported by the Accelerator, which today represents approximately $2Billion in aggregate annual revenues and over 3,500 sustainable jobs.
