A Mason-based nonprofit is moving forward with its first accelerator program designed to support female entrepreneurs.
The Sister Accord Foundation, led by founder Sonia Jackson Myles, recently announced the five entrepreneurs who will make up its first cohort. Each entrepreneur will receive a $10,000 grant, business education and mentorship from Myles and Jean Freeman, CEO and principal of Los Angeles-based advertising agency Zambezi. (Zambezi is providing $50,000 to launch the accelerator.)
The cohort includes:
- Mia D’Amato, founder of Boho Basement, an upcycled clothing brand focused on textile mitigation and environmental restoration with a mission of being a brand that generates positive change in the polluting fashion industry
- Dr. Susan Lovelle, founder and CEO of Premiere Wellness, a global comprehensive lifestyle health company that teaches women how to flourish by mastering their energy, weight and hormones
- Rory Lee, CEO of MakeupByRoryLee, a well-known makeup artist who has worked on multiple projects for film and television for ABC, NBC, CNN, PBS, OWN, BET and Lifetime, as well as NFL Films, Miami Heat TV, and at two Super Bowls
- Claudia Parker, founder of Claudia Parker Portraits Inc, a company that specializes in photography and video production, primarily within K-12 school districts
- Juana Spears Gissendanner, founder of SOAR Consulting and Educational Development, which inspires learners to follow their dreams and obtain their educational aspirations by helping them prepare for the competitive college application process.
Jackson Myles launched the foundation after more than two decades in corporate America, including as director of global packaging for Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble. The organization aims to empower women, educate women and eradicate bullying.
"With the Sister Accord Accelerator program, my goal is to help female entrepreneurs scale their businesses, something that is often a challenge, even more so in these uncertain times," Jackson Myles said in a statement.
