(PHOENIX, Ariz.) — NEWS: Designed to make an impact for Black-owned businesses in the new year and beyond, IMPACT AZ 2025 focuses on supplier diversity readiness to close the racial wealth gap for diverse business owners. The Millionaire Mastermind Academy program is accepting applications from serious entrepreneurs interested in a solutions-driven accelerator program that will help them grow business with corporations, expand customer discovery and market validation, and enhance financial management and business development, Thinkzilla Consulting Group announced today.
IMPACT AZ 2025 is the first direct response to the State of Black Business Report, which highlighted both the financial gaps in this community as well as the opportunity: The Black community is fastest-growing demographic in Arizona, with 33% growth from 2010 to 2020. The nine-month program is a collaboration between the Millionaire Mastermind Academy, a leading nonprofit organization that has mentored more than 8,000 diverse women entrepreneurs while addressing barriers to economic mobility, in conjunction with the Arizona Black Chamber of Commerce.
“While Arizona continues to grow its commitment to diverse business ownership, institutional barriers to success such as lack of access to capital and quality business trainings are still a reality. That’s what we’re here to change,” said Dr. Velma Trayham, founder of the Millionaire Mastermind Academy. “This unique program invites more voices to the table and more support in developing and realizing entrepreneurial goals.”
Applications opened Jan. 10 with a deadline of March 15. The initial accelerator program will kick off April 24. The Millionaire Mastermind Academy’s Scottsdale, office, located at Arizona State University’s Skysong 3, will provide a physical space for entrepreneurs to meet with mentors and corporations part of the Supplier Diversity program. The space will also support collaboration, networking opportunities and round table discussions for business growth.
By 2025, the initiative aims to expose more than 25,000 individuals to entrepreneurship opportunity and education, a minimum of 50 businesses awarded contracts with companies for supplier diversity while empowering more than 200 new businesses to launch and more than 500 established businesses to grow their employee base. IMPACT AZ 2025 is targeting the food service, real estate, beauty/fashion, technology, professional services, retail and trade, and manufacturing industries.
“For Arizona to thrive, attract industries, and be a place people want to live, work and raise their families, we cannot afford – financially or morally – to leave anyone out. This is not about helping one group at the expense of another. We must continue to make intentional, targeted investments of political, social and business capital to aid in our priority to building a better ecosystem for Black-owned businesses and entrepreneurs. It is a matter of good business which creates greater opportunities for all Arizonans,” noted Teniqua Broughton, Executive Director, State of Black Arizona.
“Breaking down barriers and helping Black business owners overcome obstacles to entrepreneurship, we are creating meaningful economic opportunity through the power of supplier diversity programs, which are more critical than ever to businesses of all sizes,” Robin Reed, CEO of Black Chamber of Arizona added.
The Millionaire Mastermind Academy expanded to Arizona two years ago and has helped minority women nationwide gain the entrepreneurial resources needed to succeed in business, while awarding more than $200,000 in scholarships and more than $50,000 in seed funding. The program also offers a Real Estate Accelerator Program to help minority women create diversity in the real estate industry.
Corporations interested in supporting IMPACT AZ 2025 to develop a ready-made pipeline of diverse suppliers can contact info@impactaz2025.com or call 888-508-1145. Sponsors will be announced shortly.
About IMPACT AZ 2025
IMPACT AZ 2025 is a supplier diversity readiness program designed to close the racial wealth gap of business owners. Supported by the Millionaire Mastermind Academy in partnership with the Arizona Black Chamber of Commerce, IMPACT AZ 2025 is a nine-month business accelerator focused on supplier diversity training to grow business opportunities. For more information visit https://impactaz2025.com/
About Millionaire Mastermind Academy
The Millionaire Mastermind Academy is a Nationwide pioneering 501(c)(3) nonprofit addressing the barriers to economic mobility for minority women who have been systemically and historically underserved and excluded. We remove systemic barriers. We’ve helped more than 8000 Women Across the country and serve thousands of women annually with entrepreneurial resources, tools, and access to move forward in life. For more information visit https://millionairemastermindacademy.org/.
About the Black Chamber of Commerce
The Black Chamber of Arizona help increase entrepreneurial and corporate diversity by building stronger businesses that serve all communities. We do this by providing tools and education to create more “bankable” businesses, by removing barriers that impede access to capital, and by partnering with leading educational institutions to help create competitive business advantages through workforce diversity. For more information visit https://blackchamberaz.com/.
About The State of Black Arizona
The State of Black Arizona is the leader in the production, synthesis and socialization of actionable data and insights for all Arizonans with a primary focus on the Black community. Across Arizona, communities of color are underrepresented in the public sphere and significantly disproportionately impacted by many conditions that result in unequitable outcomes in areas such as education, economic mobility, and health and well-being. A concerted effort is needed to ensure these concerns are identified, validated, and brought to the attention to the Black community in addition to civic and community leaders. For more information visit https://stateofblackarizona.org/
RELATED LINKS:
https://www.gpec.org/blog/regional-report-state-of-black-business-2022/
Related link: https://thinkzillaconsulting.com/
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