Greater Louisville Inc.'s minority business accelerator looking to help more businesses grow

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A program in Louisville is focusing on helping business owners take their successes to the next level.

It's a cohort-style program through Greater Louisville Inc. called "Power to Prosper Minority Business Accelerator."

According to GLI, it's designed for minority small business owners and helps provide participants with tools to advance their business operations, financial management, marketing and more. The program launched in April 2022 and is getting ready for its fourth cohort.

"We're proud to say we have an alumni of 37 graduates and they vary in all sectors of business across our community, across our region actually," said Dana Johnson, GLI's senior director of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Creative Spirits Behavioral Health CEO Cassandra Gray participated in the most recent cohort after learning about it through a friend. She said she started the business, which provides mental health services, in 2017.

There are two Creative Spirits Behavioral Health offices in Louisville. One is in Middletown and another is on West Chestnut Street in the Russell neighborhood.

"I feel like for our business, I had taken our business as far as I knew," said Gray.

Gray said her business serves about 300 people each year, but she was looking for guidance on how to grow even further.

"Walking in, I'm thinking, 'I'm a CEO of a small company, you know we serve people and that's great,'" she said. "But I walked out of there feeling like, 'I'm a CEO of a freaking company and we're doing big things.'"

Gray said the program has given her new tools, including a growth plan for her business, and new knowledge of the marketplace.

"I always knew my business had potential, and I could speak to that," she said. "But to actually look at the value, to understand the market value, the market size, to understand for a minority business, that's really important."

Applications for the next cohort are open, with 20 spots available. Johnson said interviews are underway now.

"We are looking for businesses — not really in infancy or a start-up — but those businesses that are established, have been in business at least two years, and we are looking to help those businesses grow," Johnson said.

Gray said she feels proud of what she's learned through the program, and believes those there are rooting for her to succeed.

"I intend to take my business to the next level and I'm working on that," she said. "I want to be able to show the success that I was told and shown that I could have, and so I want to be able to access that and do that."

Johnson said entrepreneurs from several types of business have been through the program, including those with backgrounds in the food/restaurant industry, real estate, mental health, manufacturing and more.

There is no charge for the program. Johnson said it is funded through investors throughout the community.

The application process for the upcoming cohort continues through mid-March, with classes starting in April.

For a link to the application, click here.

Related Stories: