The northern reaches of the Metroplex are getting a boost to its startup ecosystem.
The Center for Women Entrepreneurship at Texas Women’s University and local coworking space Stoke have teamed up to launch a new incubator in Denton, the first of its kind in the city, according to the Denton Record-Chronicle. Called AccelerateHER, the incubator program will focus on early-stage, women-owned startups in the region.
“We hope that through this partnership with TWU CWE we can provide women and women-identifying entrepreneurs with tangible tools and valuable connections to partners, customers, and funders,” wrote Heather Gregory, executive director at Stoke, in a post on the coworking space’s website.
Like many incubators, AccelerateHER members will get business development training, mentorship, networking and access to investors, as they grow their business. The five-month program will also have weekly workshops on things like brand building, pitching and funding options, and will culminate in a live pitch event to community leaders and investors.
The programing hopes to leverage TWU’s female-focused entrepreneurial knowledge with Stoke’s startup network, which includes Denton Angels, a local investment group created by Stoke owner and satellite software startup Kubos CEO and co-founder Marshall Culpepper.
Members of the cohort will also get access to Stoke’s coworking space, which opened in 2016. The space recently made some changes due to the pandemic, as many coworking spaces look for ways to offer communal offices while keeping members safe. While Stoke has re-opened its doors to members, events have been moved online, common areas are closed off and sanitizer stations have been set up around the building. In addition, Stoke is staggering the times its members can access desks and shifts employees can work to limit the amount of people in the space. It is also requiring masks and social distancing in the building.
For its inaugural cohort, which will include up to five companies, AccelerateHER is focusing on businesses in the creative, education and lifestyle industries – all big parts of the economy in a college town known for its arts and music scene. Applicants will have to prove that at least 51 percent of their business is women-owned.
AccelerateHER will kick off its programming on October 1 and run through February. The deadline to apply is on September 14.
“To us, success would look like the companies in the pilot program accomplishing major startup goals, whether that be securing funding, landing their first customer, developing an MVP, launching their website, or initiating a marketing campaign,” Gregory wrote. “Achieving any of these milestones would help Stoke meet our mission of having a positive impact on the culture and economy of Denton.”
