She Runs It x digitalundivided: START Program

She Runs It has partnered with digitalundivided to launch the She Runs It x digitalundivided: START Program, an early-stage, start-up accelerator for BIPOC women entrepreneurs in marketing, media, and tech. 
 
The program–conceived by the She Runs It Foundation Board members Ronnie Dickerson Stewart (OhHeyCoach), Jeremy Arditi (Teads), and Jason Smith (Spark Foundry)– will provide essential support to a selected cohort of women of color early-stage founders as they take their business ideas to the next level. The program consists of a 10-week curriculum that will provide mentoring and access to business tools and strategies needed to bring their ideas to fruition. There will also be a Demo Day in early December during which the selected entrepreneurs will present business plans and funding pitches to industry leaders, including investors. 
 
Applications are HERE; Deadline is August 17th
 
This program is important and timely for a couple of reasons:

• According to a recent Harris Poll, 61% of people have ideas for new businesses but 92% of them never follow through because they lack things like support, mentorship, knowledge of/access to business tools and strategies (as well as money). This program provides those things and will give women a curriculum, support, and guidance from mentors as well as a series of guest speakers – many of whom are also successful entrepreneurs.
• As revealed in last year’s #Inclusive100 study, women are leaving the ad industry at an alarming rate. Programs like START can help entice women back into the industry with their brilliant ideas. The impact of the past two years on working women is a story that’s been widely discussed, but it’s a problem that doesn’t appear to be “fixing” itself. There are still 2 million fewer women in the workforce than there were in 2020.

 
“Our Foundation Board selected digitalundivided as a launch partner for this accelerator based on their history of propelling Latina and Black women entrepreneurs into new successful business endeavors,” said Lynn Branigan, President, and CEO of She Runs It. “We are focusing on women of color because our industry is profoundly under-indexing on these workforce populations,” Branigan added, citing the organization’s #Inclusive100 research which indicates a decline in Black and Latina representation across the industry. “This program is designed to bring the powerful ideas and emerging business concepts of women of color to fruition for our industry.”