Community News
Business and beauty; online project is on the hunt for entrepreneurial women
BY JANIECE CAMPBELL
Calling all the businesswomen! There may be an opportunity here knocking at your door.
Have you heard of the Access Project?
They define themselves as a non-profit, seed-stage start-up for women owned businesses. With an expertise in the fashion and beauty industry, they assist in giving you that extra boost to take your branding, marketing and design to the next level.
You see ladies, building your brand matters, as it is the foundation of your company! Having a product that people want to purchase is great, but everything begins with how you initiate your business model. The Access Project has a direct focus on developing start-up companies to be more resource efficient to increase their probability of success, all within the span of three months.
The intensive project runs two, 12-week programs per year for 2-3 start-ups in each session, a group selected from a highly competitive application pool. Participants will adhere to an elite mentor list and gain access to agency resources while working alongside industry team members focused on business development. The entire program will be conducted virtually, requiring selected applicants to work on their start-ups full-time and participate in all scheduled online programming and meetings.
According to The Access Project, dedication and determination are the #1 factors that they are observing. It’s more than just having a potentially successful product; they are looking for start-ups with the drive to work and passion to succeed. As a matter of fact, you don’t even need to have a product in hand either! The Access Project prides itself in investing in companies at a variety of stages, from concept to post-revenue. From companies with revenues ranging up to $20,000 or $200,000 trailing in a 12-month period to companies without a product or revenue at all, the project gives the opportunity for start-up businesses anywhere in Canada or the U.S. to be invested in.
The mentors in this session are five seasoned businessowners that know the ins and outs of what it takes to establish a solid foundation, and they all happen to be black women as well! With a range of careers in public relations, broadcast journalism, modelling and designing, each of them share a love for the fashion industry and a skilled ability in fine-tuning small businesses. One of these mentors is Jamé Jackson, a woman of many prestigious titles. She is a fashion and beauty editor, media personality, cultural storyteller and entrepreneur. Jackson has had her work featured at some of the world’s most leading media outlets such as BuzzFeed, Yahoo, Refinery29 and the list goes on. The other mentors are just as exceptional, bringing to the table a focus on promoting inclusivity and a value in business education. Every year, the mentorship board consists of artistic directors, professional communicators and executives with similar credentials.
Are you interested yet? Well, there’s some good and bad news.
The bad news is that unfortunately, you lucked out of the first session, as the application portal is currently closed. The good news is that you have a second chance! The Access Project runs twice a year and program applications for Flight 2 will open up on August 1st, 2020, remaining open until mid-September. That should give you enough time to get all your ideas in order!
Do you already have knowledge of branding, marketing and design? Why not apply to be a mentor instead?
If you work in a role directly related to fashion, beauty, lifestyle and entertainment, The Access Project is looking for you too! As a mentor, you should be able to add significant value to a start-up through things like relevant industry experience, access to a large network of resources and introductions to helpful contacts. If you think you have a unique insight that could be shared with blossoming business owners, consider being a mentor today.
Not interested in applying at all but still willing to support. There’s an option for that too!
The Access Project accepts donations that directly go into supporting and funding the mentorship, development and access to resources for the women-owned start-up companies. Additionally, a donation supports the battle against injustice and inequality that women face day-to-day in many corporate spaces.
Everyone is encouraged to apply. For any further questions, contact nkc@accessbynkc.com.