Resource III in Durham, NC
ESO leaders from the Resource III cohort reflect on how the program has supported their growth through connection, peer learning, and access to resources during the program summit in Durham, NC.
Resource
Backing the leaders who back local founders
About Resource
Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs) help close the gap in access to funding and networks for under-resourced founders, who typically receive less than 3% of venture capital.
However, to sustainably support startups and their founders, ESOs also need support. We launched Resource with Black Innovation Alliance to unlock tailored support.
Designed as an “accelerator-for-accelerators,” Resource equips locally-led ESOs with capacity-building support. Participants connect with like-minded peers, engage in training sessions focused on capital, and develop the necessary skills to enhance their value proposition and effectively support early-stage startups in their communities, so they can thrive.
Since its inception in 2021, the Resource initiative has empowered 33 community-led ESOs, which have collectively raised over USD 41M in funding and supported over 8,000 entrepreneurs.
The initiative continues to strengthen entrepreneurial infrastructure for early-stage founders, building a network of collaboration among ecosystem leaders. As we continue to design and lead new Resource programs, we invite you to partner with us in creating an even greater impact.
Cohort I
Beautiful Ventures
Beautiful Ventures (Bronx, NY) helps Black, story-driven creatives build entrepreneurial skills, narrative power, and generational wealth.
Cohort member, Resource I
Cohort II
Baltimore Creatives Acceleration Network (BCAN)
Baltimore Creatives Acceleration Network (BCAN) (Baltimore, MD), launched by MICA, is building a more equitable and thriving creative ecosystem by training, resourcing, connecting, and inspiring Baltimore’s creatives to build sustainable, livelihood-supporting enterprises.
Cohort member, Resource II
Cohort III
Built2Last Innovations Lab
Built2Last Innovations Lab (Durham, North Carolina) provides training, technical assistance, and certifications to historically underrepresented businesses.
Cohort member, Resource III
Case Study: Human-Centered Approaches to Thriving Ecosystems
ESOs are the behind-the-scenes force enabling local entrepreneurs to access the resources they need to succeed. Their support, however, is anything but traditional.
Get to know how three impact-centered ESOs in our Resource III program – Cinematica Labs, Catalyst Labs, and Zane Access – are shifting the landscape toward one of greater support and sustainability on our blog, “Human-Centered Approaches to Thriving Ecosystems.”
Videos
Build in Tulsa, Honoring the Legacy of Black Wall Street
Ashli Sims, Managing Director, shares Build in Tulsa’s origin story and mission to restore Tulsa’s role as the destination for Black entrepreneurs.
Go Big Go Local
ESOs challenge the concept of “go big or go home” by supporting local innovations.
Blogs
Human-Centered Approaches to Thriving Ecosystems
ESOs are redefining entrepreneurial growth through three non-traditional, human-centered approaches: wellbeing, soft skills, and community.
Resource Stories: Kerry Bowie, Majira Project
Kerry Bowie, Founder of the Majira Project, talks about his work supporting entrepreneurs in terms of cultivation – planting seeds and helping them grow.
Resource Stories: Terell Sterling, Go Paladin
Terell Sterling, Founder and CEO of Go Paladin, shares the inspiration behind his mission to empower under-resourced entrepreneurs in the tech and venture capital sectors.
News & Insights
This Program Supports The Ecosystem Supporting Founders Of Color (Forbes)
Founders of color face well-documented funding gaps—but so do the organizations that support them.
Who Supports the Supporters?
Our earliest insights from the first Resource cohort detail how ESOs are pioneering new participatory models open to all organizations and ecosystems.
Shifting the Center: 2023 Resource Lookbook
After completing the second Resource cohort, we took a step back to strategically assess, learn, and reimagine the initiative’s next impact phase.
Hear from our Alumni
Our Partners
As inaugural partners, Village Capital and Black Innovation Alliance joined forces in 2021 to lay a solid foundation for startup ecosystems by equipping ten ESOs with tools, methodologies, and curriculum, marking the beginning of the Resource Initiative and our first accelerator-for-accelerators program.
Since its initial launch, forward-thinking partners committed to strengthening innovation and entrepreneurship have worked with Village Capital to support community-led ESOs across the country.
Since 2021, a coalition of funders, including Autodesk Foundation, JP Morgan Chase & Co., Moody’s, Nasdaq Foundation, The Sorenson Impact Foundation, Travelers, Truist Foundation, and UBS, have supported a total of 33 ESOs across three cohorts.
