A leading source of capital for entrepreneurs pushing the world forward.

The MBA Fund I is a leading source of capital for entrepreneurs pushing the world forward. The Fund provides equity and flexible debt financing for entrepreneurs of color to support targeted acquisitions, traditional growth equity, and early-stage follow-on investments.

Propelling businesses to the next level of growth.

The MBA Fund I, LLC is the Accelerator’s inceptive visionary capital fund which launched in 2022. The MBA Fund offers a variety of capital options to aid the Accelerator’s portfolio companies in the Cincinnati and Midwest region with growth and acquisition opportunities. The MBA Fund invests beyond these regions, in certain instances, to further the advancement of access to capital for minority businesses in up to 10 or more partnering cities.

The MBA Fund’s unique structure permits investments in both later and earlier stage minority-led businesses. For earlier stage companies that are post-seed stage capital, the MBA Fund will be the conduit to institutional venture capital firms, if not, then the Fund will provide capital required to secure such investments and make the connections required to achieve high growth.

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OUR MISSION

To scale growing minority owned businesses that elevate the entrepreneurial community by providing access to capital, advisory services, and other resources to support sustainable growth.

OUR HISTORY

Cincinnati's Civil Unrest

Minority Business Accelerator was founded as a byproduct of the Cincinnati Action Now (CAN) Commission

Darrin Redus, Fund Manager and CEO of the Accelerator, recognized the lack of venture capital for MBEs and decided to create a non-traditional fund.

Minority Business Accelerator Fund I (“MBA Fund”) was formed to provide equity and flexible debt financing for high potential entrepreneurs of color.

OUR INVESTMENT THESIS

To Invest in B2B 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.