By Tracy Irby For the Denton Record-Chronicle
Starting and growing a business can be a difficult process, as most budding entrepreneurs don’t learn about it in school, and when they start a business they often don’t know what to do next. Incubator and accelerator programs are a great way to learn business basics with like-minded entrepreneurs.
The National Women’s Business Council (NWBC) 2017 survey, Women’s Participation in Business Incubators and Accelerators, found that business incubators and accelerators can play an important role in the entrepreneurial ecosystem by not only offering training and services but also connecting women business owners to opportunities and resources that may help them overcome various challenges that limit business development and growth.
The Center for Women Entrepreneurs partnered with Stoke Denton to create the AccelerateHER training program for women in Denton. Heather Gregory, Stoke’s owner and executive director, was instrumental in bringing local experts, entrepreneurs and investors before the trainees.
Participants went through extensive business training, shared experiences and displayed their work to investors, local business leaders, potential clients and contacts last month.
Denton cohort members and their businesses included:
Jordan Adams, Spoonie Creative Collective
Kimberly Bien, Salted Sanctuary Soap
Anna Montes, La Catrina Creations
Marcia Dunn, Math with Marcia
Hannah McGinty, Hans Film & Photo LLC
Cindy Thurk, CM Promotions — Wedding & Event Planning
Tanya Smith, Get Noticed with Video
The education and value of this program were evident, and the program could be replicated throughout the state. The Jane Nelson Institute for Women’s Leadership in partnership with The Slate co-working space in Dallas started the Texas Woman Owned Incubator program in 2021, which was similar to the Denton program.
The name was changed to AccelerateHER Dallas for the second cohort, which held its pitch finale on March 7.
Dallas cohort members and their businesses included:
Tasha Whitaker, Crew Wellness LLC
Ellen Hoffman, The Movement Loft
Tiffany Jones, TJL Collection
Vanessa Luna, DFW Latina Society
Emefa Boamah, Emefa Boamah Embodiment Coaching
Michelle Holloway, Lifestyle Transitions, PLLC
The AccelerateHER programs are continuing to grow throughout Texas. AccelerateHER Houston began in 2022, and it will hold a pitch finale on March 23. AccelerateHER Abilene will start in the next couple of months, and bids will be going out in two other areas of Texas in an effort to reach more rural women entrepreneurs who don’t have access to entrepreneurial training programs. The programs will rotate each year to reach more women entrepreneurs.
These programs will give support to women so they can get more angel investing, create lifelong relationships and thrive in business.
TRACY IRBY is the director for the Center for Women Entrepreneurs at Texas Woman’s University. She can be reached at tirby@twu.edu. The center is a program of the Jane Nelson Institute for Women’s Leadership, which is dedicated to preparing more women to take on successful roles in business and public service.