Fiverr International Ltd., the company changing how the world works together, announced the twelve founders selected to participate in the third annual Future Collective Business Accelerator Program. The Future Collective is an accelerator designed for early-stage U.S. and Canada-based Black entrepreneurs at pivotal moments in their business journey. Each founder will receive funding, coaching, and tools to scale and grow their business. Fiverr hosts the Future Collective program in partnership with 1863 Ventures, an independent, Black-led nonprofit organization founded to help underrepresented entrepreneurs move from high potential to high growth.
Despite recent strides made among Black founders, there remain unique challenges that these entrepreneurs face when building and growing their businesses. A 2023 study from Goldman Sachs found that 37% of Black business owners have difficulty accessing new capital and financing – 14 percentage points higher than their non-Black peers. The Future Collective program grew out of Fiverr’s commitment to enabling a more equitable playing field for these entrepreneurs who face systemic structures, cultural barriers, or life circumstances working against them.
“We are so proud to have the Future Collective as part of the Fiverr ecosystem. Since the start of the program in 2021, Fiverr has doubled down and intensified its focus on empowering Black entrepreneurs,” said Micha Kaufman, Founder and CEO of Fiverr. “Each year we have enlarged the group receiving funding and training, and we are growing an impressive network of alumni.”
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The twelve businesses that comprise Fiverr’s 2024 Future Collective cohort are:
- Talent Poole is a consulting practice that helps companies elevate their hiring processes, fostering more inclusive and equitable company cultures.
- Wanderstay Hospitality is a hybrid hospitality brand that has both a 24-bed hostel and a 10-room boutique hotel in its portfolio.
- Three Keys Coffee is an award-winning craft coffee roastery and cafe that provides a multi-sensory coffee journey inspired by jazz music.
- Postal Petals® ships bloom boxes nationwide for DIY flower arranging, promoting wellness through creative exercise and therapeutic practice.
- Peak + Valley is a mindful company that creates mushroom and herbal supplements for holistic wellness, all sourced from regenerative farms across the world.
- Orijin Bees is a multicultural children’s company dedicated to promoting inclusivity in play, with a focus on centering and celebrating Black and Brown children.
- Mino Care is a holistic virtual perinatal healthcare center offering access to a range of customized, culturally safe healthcare services.
- Midnight Comics is Atlanta’s first and largest Black family-owned indie comic book and manga publisher.
- Evan Alexander Grooming specializes in crafting premium, all-natural grooming products tailored for the modern man.
“The Future Collective program impacted my business by giving me more resources than any other organization,” said Ryen Williams, founder of Under Her Empire and Future Collective alumni. “The grant and Fiverr credits, mentorship, and best practices have made such an impact and will continue to do so for me as a first-generation entrepreneur.”
SOURCE: GlobeNewswire