Partnerships That Scale Businesses & Close Gaps
We collaborate with mission-aligned corporate partners, Funders, professional services, foundations, and institutions to expand access to revenue-generating opportunities, procurement pathways, and capital for high-potential professionals and entrepreneurs. Through these partnerships, we provide our Featured Firms with direct access to decision-makers, supplier networks, and business development programs that fuel both organic and inorganic growth.
An Ecosystem Built For Execution and Scale
Corporations
Chamber Partnerships & Strategic Corporate Access
Our strategic collaboration with the Cincinnati Chamber has unlocked access to a powerful network of corporate, civic, and institutional partners. These relationships provide our entrepreneurs with supplier diversity, procurement pathways, legal and financial expertise, and direct connections to key decision-makers across industries. Through this network, we work alongside lawyers, banks, corporations, and institutions such as Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Turner Construction, and U.S. Bank to help founders grow and scale. Our broader Chamber-related network includes:
Healthcare & Life Sciences
Civic & Community Institutions
Corporate & Retail Giants
Corporate & Retail Giants
Strategic Ecosystem Partnerships
Inclusive Industry Models Turner Construction: Serving as a model for inclusive real estate development, Turner Construction supports the creation of pathways for diverse developers. Through their engagement, we help founders enter and scale within industries that have historically lacked representation.
Revenue Growth Through Strategic Sales Partnerships
Paycor: We’ve facilitated 8 revenue-share contracts connecting our Featured Firms to Paycor’s client network of 40,000+ businesses. These partnerships help founders scale through embedded referral pipelines. We’re expanding the program to support 20 entrepreneurs in the next phase.
National Reach Through Community-Based Networks
Black Achievers: Our partnership spans 12 cities and reaches over 110,000 professionals, with a goal to train 10,000 entrepreneurs of color over the next three years. This collaboration expands our national footprint and supports scalable founder education and community-building.
Venture and Bank Partners providing co-investment and other strategic Funding Opportunities
We partner with Advantage Capital, Main Street Ventures, Unlock Capital, Stonehenge Capital, Live Oak Bank, First Financial, Heartland Bank, and others to help Featured Firms secure the capital they need to grow.
These relationships enable us to: Co-source capital aligned with founder goals, Facilitate introductions to lenders, investors, and grantors, Share high-potential investment opportunities through funder engagement, and Support the closing of equity, debt, and grant-based capital transactions
Professional Services For Scalable Growth
Scaling a business takes more than funding, it requires the right team of experts. Our approach connects entrepreneurs with trusted partners who provide essential services across legal, financial, and operational needs ensures you have the resources and expertise needed to navigate your scalability journey with confidence.
Our network includes:
Legal Support
From business formation to contract negotiation and M&A, we match founders with legal experts who understand the complexities of growth and compliance.
Accounting & Bookkeeping
We connect entrepreneurs with professionals who provide GAAP-compliant financial reporting, tax planning, and forecasting to keep businesses investor-ready.
Banking & Capital Access
Through relationships with banks, CDFIs, and national financial institutions, we help founders secure credit lines, lending products, and capital tailored to their stage of growth.
Financial Advisory
We offer connections to financial advisors and fractional CFOs who assist with valuation, investor readiness, capital stack planning, and long-term strategy.
Foundations
Foundation Partners
Foundations are critical to our ability to scale, replicate, and advocate for equitable capital systems that prioritize community transformation.
Notable foundation relationships include:
Surdna Foundation
A national partner supporting our replication, advocacy, and funding strategy.
Kauffman Foundation
Supporting national expansion and providing funding for entrepreneurial programming.
Living Cities
Helping shape national investment strategies for entrepreneurs of color through data and policy advocacy.
Kellogg
Implementation/Execution
Our Community Building And Ecosystem Approach Has Had A Scalable Impact
Our partnership-driven process ensures every founder we work with receives more than capital they gain a dedicated advisory team, a network of ecosystem partners, and a clear, supported pathway to build and sustain ownership.
Enabled Acquisitions of Miami Machine and IDS
Facilitated strategic acquisitions, including the purchase of Miami Machine Inc. and International Display Systems (IDS) — where our partnership with Live Oak Bank allowed us to serve as financial advisors to entrepreneurs Ben Moore and Aaron, guiding them through deal structuring, sourcing, and capital coordination. These transactions not only advanced diverse ownership in the Midwest but also showcased the power of aligned partnerships in turning opportunity into measurable outcomes.
$8 Million Raised to Fuel MBE Expansion
Supported MBEs in raising over $8 million in growth and acquisition capital, unlocking new pathways to scale and sustainability.
300+ Jobs Powered by Diverse Business Growth
Contributed to the creation and retention of more than 300 jobs, demonstrating the compounding economic impact of diverse ownership.
In The News
Tracking Progress.
Celebrating Impact.
