Twende is a Tennessee accelerator designed to accelerate the growth of Black and Latino owned businesses.

Ready to do business
WITH BIG BUSINESS?

Apply Now For Our January Cohort

To Accelerate Your Business Growth with Corporate and Government Clients!

APPLY NOW

1 CORPORATE CLIENT

Do you dream of landing one lucrative corporate client that would change your business FOREVER?

50 INDIVIDUAL CLIENTS

Did you know attracting just one corporate client could be worth more than 50 individual consumer clients for your business? (And much simpler, too!)

INTRODUCING OUR NEW TWENDE ACCELERATOR

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ABOUT US


Twende, Kiswahili for "let's go", is leveling the playing field for Black & Brown founders in Tennessee. 

The Twende Accelerator is Nashville Entrepreneur Center's newly redesigned statewide program providing B2B minority owned-firms with training, resources and mentorship to secure opportunities with the world's largest buyers: government and corporate entities.


THE OPPORTUNITY

There are more than 105,000 firms owned by Black & Brown founders across Tennessee.

However, these businesses tend to start smaller and stay smaller (averaging only $19,800 annually) than their peer non-minority-owned firms.

We know that a different reality is possible.

Corporations have pledged billions of dollars in annual spend to diverse, small businesses with initiatives to only increase this spending year over year.

The largest single purchaser in the world, the U.S. Federal Government, leads the charge in supplier diversity spend.

In 2022, the federal government spent an unprecedented $17 billion dollars on products and services provided by black and brown-owned businesses.

Thus, herein lies a critical question you must ask yourself...

Is your B2B startup well positioned to secure its fair share of these massive revenue opportunities?

ABOUT US


Twende, Kiswahili for "let's go", is leveling the playing field for Black & Brown founders in Tennessee. 

The Twende Accelerator is Nashville Entrepreneur Center's newly redesigned statewide program providing B2B minority owned-firms with training, resources and mentorship to secure opportunities with the world's largest buyers: government and corporate entities.


THE OPPORTUNITY

There are more than 105,000 firms owned by Black & Brown founders across Tennessee.

However, these businesses tend to start smaller and stay smaller (averaging only $19,800 annually) than their peer non-minority-owned firms.

We know that a different reality is possible.

Corporations have pledged billions of dollars in annual spend to diverse, small businesses with initiatives to only increase this spending year over year.

The largest single purchaser in the world, the U.S. Federal Government, leads the charge in supplier diversity spend.

In 2022, the federal government spent an unprecedented $17 billion dollars on products and services provided by black and brown-owned businesses.

Thus, herein lies a critical question you must ask yourself...

Is your B2B startup well positioned to secure its fair share of these massive revenue opportunities?

THE NEWLY REDESIGNED

THE PROGRAM

On-Demand Curriculum
Themed Monthly Coaching Calls
Roleplay Labs
Buyer's Insight Chats
CEO Circles
Supplier Diversity Connections
Graduate Showcase & Awards

P R O G R A M   P A R T N E R S

Supplier Diversity Connections

Program:

GOAL

Connect Twende Founders with diverse stakeholders and champions. To connect Supplier Diversity & Procurement Leaders with a pipeline of diverse founders in Tennessee who have already been certified for capacity and readiness.

THE PROCESS

To qualify for the Twende Accelerator, applicants must be:

  • Black or brown founders of a product or service-based business
  • Serving (or have the potential to serve) corporate and/or government entities
  • Go-to-market ready
  • Tech or tech-enabled companies


Applications are filling fast! The application deadline for the 2023 cohort is December 30, 2022. 

APPLY NOW VIA THE FORM BELOW.

THE PROCESS

To qualify for the Twende Accelerator, applicants must be:

  • Black or brown founders of a product or service-based business
  • Serving (or have the potential to serve) corporate and/or government entities
  • Go-to-market ready
  • Tech or tech-enabled companies


Applications are filling fast! The application deadline for the 2023 cohort is December 30, 2022. 

APPLY NOW VIA THE FORM BELOW.

UPON ACCEPTANCE

Approved applicants will complete their enrollment with a tuition payment of $2,500 in full or a $250 deposit followed by 9 monthly payments of $250.

We understand that building a world class startup happens on a tight budget. That’s why we take 0% equity in our companies, and as a non-profit, have subsidized the program fee to less than 1/10th of what it costs us, thanks to our Program Partners. Learn more about our model on the Our Model page.

The Twende Accelerator has been uniquely designed with a commitment to deliver the following outcomes to participating founders:

  • Secure your first or next corporate/government opportunity

  • Achieve a 25% increase in company revenues or average deal size

  • Team Expansion (add a minimum of one full-time employee or contractor to your team)

APPLY NOW

PROGRAM IMPACT

220%

aggregate year over year revenue growth

18

jobs created

6

businesses grown to six figures in annual revenue

2

businesses projected to hit 7 figures in 2022

HEAR FROM TWENDE ALUMNI

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