The Greenville Chamber’s Minority Business Accelerator Upstate program recently graduated 2023 program participants.

The Minority Business Accelerator supports and scales high-potential minority-owned firms by providing targeted training, access to business coaches, and access to large corporations. Participants undergo intensive training for the first six months following the internationally-recognized Interise StreetWise ‘MBA’ curriculum led by instructor Wendell Jones. During the final six months, participants work closely with financial experts, coaches and MBA peers on their three-year Strategic Growth Action Plans and implementation of learnings.

Graduating from the 2023 program were 9 local, small business owners:

• Beth Bradley, Dance Without Limits
• Timothy Cunningham, Wine & Design
• Porscha Davis, The Salon by Porscha Danielle
• Bernardo Dendy, MB&B Lawn Works
• Spunette Hawkins, Innovation Counseling
• Cherella Lee, Smallcakes Spartanburg
• Celeste Purdie, Foot Solutions Greenville
• Joanna Reese, Tangible
• Cortella Wilkes, Legacy Healthcare

At the graduation ceremony held on Thursday, December 7th, Celeste Purdie of Foot Solutions, Beth Bradley of Dance Without Limits, and  Cortella Wilkes of Legacy Healthcare received the MBA Excellence Award for their outstanding dedication and growth throughout the program. Two awards were presented to community leaders and longtime supporters recognizing their contribution to growing the MBA program: Bank of America received the MBA Champion Award and Peculiar was presented with the MBA Partner Award.

To qualify for the year-long program, businesses must be based in the Upstate, socially or economically disadvantaged (minority, veteran or woman-owned, as well as those serving lower-income communities), and a member of the Greenville Chamber.

Since its inception, the South Carolina Minority Business Accelerator has graduated more than 120 participants, created 250 new full-time jobs, and participants have seen a combined $26 million in new revenue.

Learn more at www.greenvillechamber.org/mba.