Startups in technology, architecture, hemp products and more each snagged $10,000 grants as they completed the Nashville Entrepreneur Center's accelerator for Black and Latino founders.
At a Dec. 14 graduation for the Twende program, nine participants landed the new funding. The money came from the ReGenerate Fund, a "microgrant" program that is administered by the Entrepreneur Center.
Twende launched at the Entrepreneur Center in 2019. In 2021, the state earmarked $450,000 in its budget to expand the program statewide. The program is all the more notable because it boosts entrepreneurs who statistically receive 10% or much less of venture capital funding in the U.S.
The 2022 grant recipients are:
- Allison Campbell, Fluffy Friends for Children with Chronic Conditions, Knoxville
- Danielle Buntyon, Jades Elevation, Memphis
- Debra Ann Matthews, Let Me Write It For You, Clarksville
- Diana Sanchez-Vega, Sanchez-Vega Communications LLC, Hermitage
- Jay Morgan, Comstasis, Nashville
- Joseph Cole, Culture Architecture and Design PLLC, Nashville
- Marcus Blair, Omega Digital Solutions, Maryville
- Nick Williams, DING LLC, Nashville
- Remington Holt, Remington Holt Consulting, Nashville
(A 10th recipient will be announced at the Entrepreneur Center's Nashville Black Innovation & Entrepreneurship Day event, to be held in February)
Applications are now open for the next cohort of the Twende program. It's aimed at companies with up to $75,000 of annual revenue.
