AccelerateHER

AccelerateHER: Empowering Women Entrepreneurs for Five Years

AccelerateHER: Empowering Women Entrepreneurs for Five Years

According to Tracy Kitts, former COO of the National Business Incubation Association - After five years, businesses that were nurtured in a business incubator have a survival rate of 87%. Over the past five years, we have supported 28 local women-owned businesses along their entrepreneurial journey and we’re looking forward to adding more women founders to our growing list of AccelerateHER alumni. As we prepare for the next cohort, here are some reasons you should consider applying if you’re a woman entrepreneur. 

AccelerateHER Cohort Stories: Consuelo Ligus, Yellow Rose Paint Party

AccelerateHER Cohort Stories: Consuelo Ligus, Yellow Rose Paint Party

Connie Ligus is the Chief Creative Officer and Owner of Yellow Rose Paint Party. Painting has been her lifelong joy, evolving from a personal retreat to Yellow Rose Paint Party – a mobile paint extravaganza rolling through Texas and beyond. She’s blending art, laughter, and (sometimes) a bit of spilled wine to create unforgettable moments. Balancing roles as a mom, wife, and independent business owner, she’s turned her passion into a company. Read on to learn more about Connie and Yellow Rose Paint Party in her Cohort story.

AccelerateHER Cohort Stories: Ashlee Vail, Austyn Wyatt & Co.

AccelerateHER Cohort Stories: Ashlee Vail, Austyn Wyatt & Co.

From her roots in Grenada to the flourishing food scene of Denton, Latoya's culinary adventure is a story of passion and perseverance. As the proud owner of a thriving food trailer Groovy Chicken and Waffles and T's Table Catering Services, she has transformed her love for cooking and baking into thriving businesses.

AccelerateHER Cohort Stories: Latoya Jackson, Groovy Chicken & Waffles

AccelerateHER Cohort Stories: Latoya Jackson, Groovy Chicken & Waffles

From her roots in Grenada to the flourishing food scene of Denton, Latoya's culinary adventure is a story of passion and perseverance. As the proud owner of a thriving food trailer Groovy Chicken and Waffles and T's Table Catering Services, she has transformed her love for cooking and baking into thriving businesses.

AccelerateHER Cohort Stories: Jen Johnson, Jen Johnson Consulting

AccelerateHER Cohort Stories: Jen Johnson, Jen Johnson Consulting

Jen Johnson, burnout consultant, uses her skills to assist non-profits, school districts, and businesses in the battle against burnout. She’s offering the support she wished she had during her time as an employee and a leader. Read more about Jen and her business in her cohort story.

AccelerateHER Cohort Stories: Madison Newman, Found & Forged Design Co.

AccelerateHER Cohort Stories: Madison Newman, Found & Forged Design Co.

Madison Newman is the founder and artist behind Found & Forged Design Co. and a self taught brand expert. She build brands that are handcrafted and intentionally created to showcase your businesses values, and unique offerings; building you a tribe of adoring fans, and increasing your profit. Read on to learn more about Madison and her business.

AccelerateHER Cohort Stories: Christina Barrientos, Heartstone Creative

AccelerateHER Cohort Stories: Christina Barrientos, Heartstone Creative

Christina Barrientos is the owner and founder of Heartstone Creative. Heartstone Creative is the soft-skill training solution for young adults and entry level positions for small businesses. They’re closing the gap between long-time employees and entry level workers by providing scenario-based learning to help meet business expectations. Read on to learn more about Christina, her inspiration, and her business.

AccelerateHER Cohort Stories: Anna Montes, La Catrina Creations

La Catrina Creations truly came into being from an entrepreneur’s spirit: Anna Montes was looking for something that she couldn’t find out in the world so she decided to make it herself. Starting with having an artistan make sarape stoles, La Catrina Creations has grown so much so that Anna needed to build a warehouse! You can learn more about Anna, her inspiration, and her work in her AccelerateHER cohort story.

AccelerateHER Cohort Stories: Hannah McGinty, Hans Film and Photo, Modern Memoir

AccelerateHER Cohort Stories: Hannah McGinty, Hans Film and Photo, Modern Memoir

Hannah is a force of nature in her industry, and we’re so proud of her for winning the top prize in the first ever Denton Pitch Competition. Her passion for storytelling and commitment to quality shines in her work. Read more about Hannah below!

AccelerateHER Cohort Stories: Jordan Adams, Spoonie Creative Collective

AccelerateHER Cohort Stories: Jordan Adams, Spoonie Creative Collective

Jordan Adams is co-owner of Spoonie Creative Collective. She is a disabled maker that handmakes rugs of various designs and sizes. Their goal is to create a platform for other disabled makers to sell their creations as well. Read more about Jordan’s work in their AccelerateHER cohort story.

AccelerateHER Cohort Stories: Tanya Smith, Get Noticed With Video

AccelerateHER Cohort Stories: Tanya Smith, Get Noticed With Video

Tanya is a video marketing strategist and business coach, a self-described #girlmom, #doglover, and a Wonder Woman fangirl. Some refer to her as a ‘walking Google.’ She empowers women service providersd to “embrace their face” on video so that they can stand out online, serve more people, and sell more services.

AccelerateHER Cohort Stories: Kimberly Bien, Salted Sanctuary Soap

AccelerateHER Cohort Stories: Kimberly Bien, Salted Sanctuary Soap

When you step foot into Salted Sanctuary, you’re delighted by the sights, smells, and on event nights, sounds of Kimberly Bien’s brick and mortar shop. Her carefully created products bring joy to so many people’s lives. Read about her background, work, and business in her AccelerateHER cohort story!

AccelerateHER Cohort Stories: Cindy Thurk, CM Promotions

AccelerateHER Cohort Stories: Cindy Thurk, CM Promotions

Cindy Thurk is the founder and CEO of CM Promotions. She is a vibrant and supportive member of the third AccelerateHER incubator program, offered in partnership between Stoke and the Center for Women Entrepreneurs at Texas Woman’s University. The energy and expertise that she brings to the table is unmatched. Cindy spent some time answering questions about her work, process, and inspiration for our AccelerateHER Cohort Stories series. Read on!

5 Reasons to Apply For An Incubator Program (like AccelerateHER!)

5 Reasons to Apply For An Incubator Program (like AccelerateHER!)

Since 2020, each fall, Stoke and TWU team up to offer several women-owned businesses the opportunity to focus on developing their businesses through a five-month incubator program that provides hands-on workshops, resources, mentorship, and more. Weekly workshops are purposefully ordered so that each member of the cohort has a solid starting point in the program and can make specific goals for their personal and professional outcomes from the onset. 

AccelerateHER Cohort Stories: Holly Michael

AccelerateHER Cohort Stories: Holly Michael

“During her career at Dell and HP, Holly Michael won many awards. She was recognized as a top performer and identified as key talent countless times. But, the award she values the most was being recognized as a Volunteer of Distinction at Dell. This is an international award that highlights the top 20 volunteers each year at Dell.”

AccelerateHER 2021 Cohort Stories: Carmen Menza

AccelerateHER 2021 Cohort Stories: Carmen Menza

Carmen Menza is an interdisciplinary artist whose practice spans video, light based work, music and immersive public art installations. She is especially interested in works that create a visual and musical dialogue to encourage artistic collaboration between herself and the community.

AccelerateHER Cohort Stories: Ernanda White

AccelerateHER Cohort Stories: Ernanda White

We had a great conversation with Ernanda White, CXO and founder of Black Girls Drone, and participant in the first cohort of the AccelerateHER program. She tells us about her background and being somewhat steered away from the tech field as child, what ultimately inspired her to start BGD, and what she hopes to see happen for the organization in the future.

AccelerateHER Cohort Stories: Lillia Whittington

AccelerateHER Cohort Stories: Lillia Whittington

Lillia Whittington is the owner and head content creator of The D. Diaries, a fashion and lifestyle blog that highlights what makes Denton unique! Motivated to give Denton a voice and put it on the map for North Texas and beyond, Lillia’s written about and promoted local events, lifestyle activities and shops plus compiled useful tools like the Denton Guide and holiday shopping tips for locals and visitors alike. Coming from someone who grew up in Denton and knows the town like the back of her hand, The D. Diaries is filled with love for her hometown; anything born from the heart has to be good, and what Lillia creates is indeed delightful.