The Entrepreneurial Accelerator (TEA) is a customizable 3-day live event designed to support aspiring entrepreneurs and existing business owners as they catapult from concept to the commercial sphere. This program was designed to emphasize serving low to moderate-income earners, people of color, and women. See the 2019 Impact Report.
It has only been 2 months from the first Entrepreneurial Accelerator (held December 13-15, 2019) and already members of the first cohort are making waves. Check out their stories below!
CarolAnn Bauer
Jan 21, 2020, participant CarolAnn Bauer was featured in an article on AARP.
“CarolAnn Bauer is an Encore Entrepreneur in every sense. The 67 year-old is the winner of three entrepreneurial awards in the Asheville area.
Most notably, Bauer is the inventor of the first and only underwear for plus-size women and the owner of Dry Apron, LLC, the company that manufactures them.”
Tarah Singh
January 9, 2020, participant Tarah Singh was featured in an article on Mountain Xpress.
“Local painter, sculptor and designer Tarah Singh has a lot of proverbial irons in the fire. And, because she tends to explore every creative avenue and modality available to her, she might have some literal irons in the fire, too. Environmental sculpture for beehives is one project in the works; a tote bags collaboration with Julia McDowell, secretary of local nonprofit civic organization Just Folks, is another. Singh was also recently hired by Just Folks to create a mural that will honor the contributions of African Americans in Asheville.”
Patricia Waters
” Most businesses begin with a bright idea and a dream. But commercial enterprises that sprout from the mind of an 11-year-old child are relatively rare. Although Patricia Waters is the name on the business card for Chill Cereal Bar & Cafe, the 38-year-old single mom makes it clear that the mobile cereal eatery is the brainchild of her 13-year-old son, Elijah. “