BETA: Business Entrepreneurship Training Accelerator program

BETA offers a lean start-up framework designed to offer small business owners and future business owners an opportunity to create, launch, improve, or scale a business—all while receiving entrepreneurship and leadership training essentials. The BETA Program is a no-cost training, coaching, and consulting platform to assist business owners with resources and skills for capacity building, industry-networking, technical assistance, government contracting and supplier diversity. Under the BETA umbrella consists of the following:

NextLevel is a 14 week no-cost business training, education, coaching and consulting program designed to assist business owners with resources and skills for capacity building, industry networking, technical assistance, government contracting and supplier diversity. This intensive training curriculum powered by Interise will assist business owners in developing entrepreneurial soft skills, establishing investment-ready businesses, and creating a 3-year growth plan.

Apply here.

CO. STARTERS is a program designed for aspiring entrepreneurs and is an accelerator program designed to provide participants with insights, relationships, and tools to turn their ideas into action and a sustainable business. This program will help participants gain momentum—regardless of what they’re trying to start or where they are in the process.

The CO.STARTERS program is a platform that equips aspiring entrepreneurs with the insights, relationships, and tools needed to turn their business ideas into action. It’s designed to help participants launch their small business ideas or refine their current business models through a 10-week CORE Program. This program provides an action-driven, collaborative process with a small and supportive group of like-minded people. Over ten sessions, participants work to identify their assumptions about why and how their businesses will work and then talk to customers to validate their ideas. This approach helps to rapidly uncover flaws in the concept and find viable models more quickly.

Apply here.

Program Eligibility/Requirements

To qualify for the BETA BIPOC Small Business Accelerator, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Must self-identify as BIPOC – which includes anyone who identifies as Hispanic, Latinx, Native American, Native Hawaiian, Alaskan Native, Desi, Asian or Pacific Islander
• U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident
• Business must be in the target region of the program iteration – Memphis/Shelby County, TN
• In business at minimum of 1-3 years
• Not currently past due on federal obligations or are on a recovery plan
• Not involved in felony-level criminal activity, crimes of moral turpitude, or financial
• Not engaged in any of the following industries: adult entertainment, gambling or gaming, real estate investments or housing projects, passive activity (rental), anything federally illegal, multi-level marketing, and nonprofit activities.