Partnering to Build Minority Businesses

African-American and Hispanic business owners in Medina, Portage and Summit counties have a new resource to help grow their enterprises. The Partnership for the Minority Business Accelerator is a collaboration among the Akron Urban League, Kent State University and SCORE of Akron. The PMBA provides the education, training, mentoring, networking and and cultural understanding required to significantly increase the success and growth of minority-owned businesses.

The accelerator is a two-year program that provides intensive support for African-American and Hispanic owners of small- to medium-sized businesses. Eligible businesses must be for-profit, at least one year old and with a gross revenue of from $50,000 to $2.5 million. PMBA hopes to fill a gap in Northeast Ohio by providing services to promising, small and medium-sized minority-owned businesses.

Interested businesses can complete an online application at www.pmba1.org or call 234-542-4145 or via email at aulmbdc@aol.com.

A similar accelerator targeted at African-American and Hispanic owned businesses with more than $2.5 million in sales serves all of Northeast Ohio. Information on that accelerator, known as the Minority Business Accelerator +2.5, can be found here.