The Baton Rouge Area Chamber today announced the first cohort of the Drive Minority Business Accelerator powered by ExxonMobil in partnership with Interise’s award-winning StreetWise ‘MBA’ curriculum.
Eleven minority-owned businesses comprise the class, collectively representing approximately $54.3 million in annual revenue and employing 258 full-time equivalent employees.
Members of the inaugural cohort are:
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- Joshua August, Chicken Shack
- Jelani Clark, Trendsic Corporation
- Billy Duncan, Real Property Management Premium LLC
- Norisha Glover, NRK Construction
- Nenette Gray, Lemonade Creative Marketing LLC
- Rodney Greenup Jr., Greenup Industries LLC
- Xavier Hoskins, DXI Health Solutions LLC
- Lakeisha Robichaux, Chief of Minds
- Evon Roquemore, Bright Enterprise
- Craig Stevens, Genesis 360, LLC
- Collis Temple III, E.P. Breaux Utility Services, LLC
Drive is part of BRAC’s five-year strategic plan, BRING IT, which identifies “creating a more inclusive economy,” as one of BRAC’s key goals.
The annual program is designed for minority small business owners who want to take their business to the next level within the Capital Region. According to BRAC, the program is a hands-on, cohort-style program that provides minority business owners with the knowledge, resources and networks necessary for their businesses to scale, including tools to advance their business operations, financial management, marketing and sales, human resources, business strategy development, access to capital, and contract development.
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The program is funded through generous contributions from companies across the region who continue to commit to advancing economic inclusion within the Baton Rouge area. Sponsors include ExxonMobil, Capital One and Coca-Cola Bottling Company. Community partners include Phelps Dunbar LLP, LSU E.J. Ourso College of Business, b1 FOUNDATION, MetroMorphosis, Baton Rouge Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce and the Southern University Law Center.
The cohort will begin classes Sept. 13 and meet monthly through June 2023.
This story originally appeared in an Aug. 31 issue of Daily Report. To keep up with Baton Rouge business and politics, subscribe to the free Daily Report e-newsletter here.