Minority Business Accelerator

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. – What is the purpose of the Minority Business Accelerator (MBA)?

A. – The mission of the Minority Business Accelerator is to accelerate the growth and development of sizable African-American and Hispanic owned businesses and expand the minority entrepreneurial community in the Cincinnati USA region.

Q. – What kind of work does the MBA do?

A. – The MBA does work on two fronts: demand and supply. The supply side represents the portfolio of Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) firms that we provide management and financial consulting to accelerate growth and maintain long-term sustainability. 

The demand side represents the identification and facilitated access to contracts for products and services by local corporations in the region for the portfolio and other diverse firms. 

Q. – How many firms are in the MBA Portfolio?

A. – The MBA portfolio currently has 34 firms. The 34 firms represent a variety of industries including construction, facilities management, packaging and consulting.

Q. – How long has the MBA existed?

A. – The MBA began work in 2003, and was derived from the recommendations of Cincinnati Community Action Now Commission. The MBA was created to address disparity in the region’s business community to drive economic activity and increase employment in underemployed segments of the region. Currently, firms in the portfolio employ over 2,500 workers, 40% of which are women and/or minorities.

Q. – What is the “spend goal campaign?”

A. – The spend goal campaign is an effort by the MBA to encourage corporations to set goals to buy products and services from local minority firms. The initial goal set by eight corporations in 2005 was $150 million. Currently, there are 28 local corporations, nonprofit organizations and minority firms that commit to an annual spend goal, and the targeted aggregate goal for 2010 is $500 million. The spend goal campaign provides a focal point for local supplier diversity efforts. Corporations participating in the spend goal campaign are supported by the efforts of the MBA to increase their utilization of minority firms and their diversity spend.

Q. – What are the qualifications for a firm to be invited to be part of the MBA portfolio?

A. – MBA portfolio firms are sizeable, high-growth-potential, African-American and Hispanic owned minority-business enterprise companies. Qualifications for inclusion include, but are not limited to the following:

1.) Company has annual revenues of $1 million or more.
2.) Company has a business plan or defined growth strategy that indicates strong potential for accelerated growth in 2-5 years.
3.) Certification as a minority business enterprise by a third-party agency such as the local minority business supplier development council or a government agency.
4.) Headquarters or a significant presence in the Cincinnati USA Region. (3-states, 15 counties in Southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southwest Indiana).