The College of Business & Health Administration has launched a Small Business Accelerator with a $500,000 U.S. Small Business Administration FY23 Congressional Community Project Grant. The new project will specifically benefit small businesses in underserved categories in an ongoing effort to build the region’s business landscape.
For over eight years, the already-established USF Business Incubator has supported the economic development of the Will County region by fostering new business development. Now, through the grant and in partnership with the Small Business Association, the university is creating the Accelerator to provide equity-free funds and mentorship to businesses and entrepreneurs . The goal of the grant is to promote economic development and job creation, build formal mentorship relationships to promote future informal mentoring and business partnerships, and to connect senior executives and entrepreneurs while infusing entrepreneurial thinking into USF’s co-curricular activities to promote future economic development.
The Accelerator, which will be co-located with the USF Business Incubator at USF’s St. Bonaventure Campus in downtown Joliet, will also provide members with a variety of benefits including funding, mentorship, training, access to a regional business incubator and networking opportunities, as well as curricular and co-curricular programming for founders to expand their business knowledge.
This project has been funded through a grant with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Bonnie Covelli, Ed.D., Program Director
Associate Professor, College of Business & Health Administration
bcovelli@stfrancis.edu | 815-740-5071
