Fire Awards: Finalist - Fire starters/community builders
For the Minority Entrepreneurship Collaborative Center for Advancement (MECCA) at Harris-Stowe State University, highlights over the past year include providing $50,000 to local entrepreneurs through its pitch competitions and having more than 70 graduates from its business development programs. It also has expanded its team, hiring four employees.
HSSU’s MECCA initiative launched in 2021 to be a “hub of campus and community entrepreneurial activities” to support entrepreneurs from minority groups and grow their business ventures. It holds training, workshops and mentorship programs for entrepreneurs and also helps founders with business functions such as accounting and licensing. The program's executive director, Kristy Daniels Jackson, answered questions about MECCA.
What was your organization’s biggest achievement in the past year? After securing the $2.6 million funding through the Build Back Better Regional Challenge, we’ve been able to expand our MECCA Entrepreneurship Accelerator program, which now offers three different accelerators, graduating more than 70 entrepreneurs.
What is your organization’s top goal for the next year? Our top goal next year is opening the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which will be conveniently located adjacent to HSSU in Midtown St. Louis. The state-of-the-art facility will serve as a co-working hub of business resources for entrepreneurs, housing the MECCA initiative. This $3.3 million project will help us to better serve under-resourced and underrepresented people in the St. Louis community.
For links to profiles of winners and finalists in the 2023 Fire Awards and Startup Exit Awards, go here:
