Contact Saida Cornejo Zuñiga to learn more: [email protected]
The WEPOWER Business Accelerator is a 10-week entrepreneurship development program for Black and Latinx entrepreneurs across all industries, especially those that create living wage jobs. If you want to grow a thriving business in St. Louis and be apart of an amazing community of leaders, this program is for you!
Who is WEPOWER?
WEPOWER activates and supports business and community leaders to take action to make St. Louis’s economy and education systems better. Nearly 500 WEPOWER alumni—business and community leaders—have achieved big wins that impact thousands of educators and children and scaled businesses that positively support our economy and create living wage jobs.
*To view the St Louis Construction Industry Business Assistance Accelerator, go here instead. To view previous cohorts, go here.
2024 Cohort
Asha Hornaday
The Modern School of Manners
The Ellis Agency is a mental health agency centering on clinician experience. They provide guidance and resources to support the personal and professional goals of mental health clinicians, promoting sustainability and preventing burnout.
Candace Anthony
The Ellis Agency
The Modern School of Manners is an etiquette school that focuses on children, teens, and adults.
LaParis Hawkins
Tailored Pieces
Tailored Pieces is a lifestyle brand best known for its handmade luxury satin bonnets.
Dr. Natalie King
Florae Beauty
Florae is a personalizable hair wellness brand that offers clean, plant-powered, scientist-crafted formulas that truly care for your hair as thoughtfully as you do.
SoJohna Bell
Ryze Manufacturing and Logistics
Ryze is a private-label haircare and skincare product development company specializing in natural and organic products for beauty professionals and entrepreneurs.
Adjo Honsou
FUFU n’ Sauce
FUFU n’ Sauce tackles food diversity in St. Louis by bringing authentic West African cuisine to all neighborhoods via their food truck. They bridge cultural gaps, offering a direct link to African ancestry. Food is more than sustenance; it's a vehicle for cultural exchange, nourishing both body and spirit and fostering community belonging.
Javia Gilliam - Sanford
Pour Decisions STL
Pour Decisions STL redefines the bar experience with premium mobile services, offering top-tier alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails alongside quality hard goods. Founded in 2020 by Sommelier Javia Gilliam-Sanford and Kaje Sanford, they elevate mixology in St. Louis by creating inclusive, unforgettable experiences that unite diverse communities.
Brock Seals
Art by Seals
Art by Seals LLC specializes in a wide range of creative services, including painting, graphic design, shoe customization, murals, and music. The business brings imaginative ideas to life across multiple mediums, blending artistry with innovation.
Juan Carlos & Brunella Orlandini
Magic Cleaning
Magic Cleaning, founded by a family of immigrants, is a family-focused cleaning company in St. Louis. They pride themselves on delivering reliable, thorough, and personalized cleaning services rooted in their values of hard work, trust, and community. Their commitment has allowed them to grow organically, building lasting client relationships.
Tashara Earl
Shades of Color
Shades of Color creates equitable access to beauty products by connecting Black shoppers to Black beauty brands. Their personalized shopping experience helps shoppers discover beauty brands with products for their skin tone, culture, and lifestyle. Their platform serves as a pipeline to rapidly increase the 2.5% of Black Beauty Brands in the market to support the growing demand of 11.1% of Black shoppers.
Accelerator Benefits
- Workshops + 1:1 Coaching: bi-weekly one-on-one business coaching and weekly workshops and trainings
- In-kind Professional Services: accounting, marketing, and other technical services
- Access to capital: access to a $5,000 equity-free grant, a wellness stipend, and introductions to other capital providers
- Connections + Support: connections to mentors and introductions to other potential champions of you and your business
Fall '22 Alum
Jamila Boone
Jamila Boone owns Scene Event Space, a premier multi-functional private event space for your diverse social entertainment & corporate opportunities. Scene offers you over 2000 square feet of raw canvas, with fabulous details, allowing you to bring your event vision to life.
Jianna Fernandez
Jianna Fernandez owns Stride Therapy and Wellness, a mobile pediatric practice providing home and community based Occupational, Speech, and Physical therapies to children and families within the St. Louis area. Jianna was inspired to found Stride Therapy to increase access and ensure the provision of quality services to children and families from all walks of life.
Shaunessi Tucker
Shaunessi Tucker owns Skin Deep Hygienic Care, who formulates all natural hygiene and skin care products that are handmade and free of any toxic chemicals linked to cancer. Having developed a unique 3 step detoxifying system to help others transition to a healthier deodorant she is hoping to help fight cancer and educate the community on cleaner alternatives one stick of deodorant at a time.
Alberto Tello
Alberto Tello owns Precise, a construction firm providing a range of services and materials for siding, roofing, and remodeling. Precise conducts both commercial and residential projects.
Deborah James
Deborah James owns Freddie Lee’s Gourmet Sauces, a small batch food company that manufactures all-purpose gourmet sauces and co-packs sauces and dressings for other small businesses.
Contact Saida Cornejo Zuñiga to learn more: [email protected]