Empowered to Serve Business Accelerator^™:
2017-2019

Russell Fearon of Syracuse, NY, created SugEx, a wearable device for diabetes management. An Eagle Scout, Fearon has worked since his youth to make the world a better place by participating in community service and charitable endeavors.

UPDATES: 

• Russell's diverse knowledge and voracious desire to serve led him to participate in the 2019 Invent@SU Invention accelerator where he developed affordable alternatives to help treat the global diabetes epidemic.
• Training, financial grants fuel social entrepreneurs’ mission to close health barriers
   

In 2017, Goss founded The Link Market, a chain of small-scale, big-impact nonprofit grocery stores in St. Louis, Missouri. In partnership with the St. Louis transit authority, his team converted shipping containers into grocery store kiosks. They stocked the kiosks with fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy and other staples, and placed them in the heart of major food desert communities. The Link Market hires from the communities it serves and sources food from local farmers and community gardens. The products are affordably priced, and, since stores are located close to transit stations, transportation as a barrier to accessing healthy food is being eliminated.

UPDATES: 

• In April 2020, with help from partners at the St. Louis Housing Authority, The Link Market was set to open its first brick-and-mortar store in a subsidized housing complex. The store would have been the first of its kind in the nation, but the coronavirus pandemic put those plans on hold.
• Unique market ensures St. Louis gets its 'medicine' – healthy food
• Meet some of the people feeding Americans during the pandemic
   

To help de-escalate the tension of traffic stops, Carter created Not Reaching, a document holder for the dashboard designed to eliminate the movement that makes police officers nervous. Her goal is to make all drivers aware of proper traffic stop procedures to ensure that both officer and driver remain safe and proceed on their way after a routine traffic stop.
 

A former military intelligence officer, Paula Kranz developed a product that focuses on improving bystander intervention by helping trainees overcome cultural taboos. Her immersive virtual reality CPR training program uses realistic environments and helps improve intervention, accuracy and survivor rates. In 2019, Kranz was the Executive Director of the Wheelhouse Foundation, producing innovative digital media content to help nonprofits maximize charitable reach. They added impact with compelling digital storytelling, which included immersive technology.
 

Trista Li is the founder and CEO of KitcheNet, a nonprofit that works with each businesses to build fresh food ecosystems in urban food deserts. Each corporate delivery generates a subsidy. With subsidization from each corporate client, KitcheNet covers the local produce distribution cost in low-income neighborhoods. The organization works with local urban farms, nonprofits and corner stores to set up retail pop-up markets accessible to working families. This provides savings up to 40% and four to five hours of shopping time.
 

Dr. Brandi Pritchett-Johnson of Detroit, Michigan, is the founder and executive director of Future 4 Teens (F4T). This nonprofit is committed to change the game for mental health with a model that integrates educational, social, and mental health services.
 

Since 2011, John Robinson of Glenmont, NY, has served as managing partner, CEO, and founder of Our Ability Inc. The organization provides inclusive workforce and employment consulting, mentoring, workshops and keynotes. This includes seminars on disability and diversity. With its mission to reduce the unemployment rate from 70% to 60% for people with disabilities in the U.S., Our Ability has a coalition of New York state businesses interested in hiring individuals with disabilities.

UPDATES: 

• Our Ability has joined Microsoft’s AI for Accessibility program to use AI technology to create accessible and inclusive technology for the employment of people with disabilities.
   

Andrew Suggs of Baltimore, MD, founded Live Chair, a barbershop that leverages the power of the trusted barber-customer relationship to overcome health care inequities that have caused gaping health disparities for black men. Equipped with a blood pressure monitor and driven by purpose, Live Chair barbers empower, encourage and enable their clients to better manage their conditions and live a healthier life.

UPDATES: 

• Live Chair Health Raises $3.5M in Seed Funding
• CEO empowers Black men to manage blood pressure, engage with health care system through barbershops Read more
   

Baltimore native Brittany Young is the founder of B-360, an organization that uses dirt bike culture to end the cycle of poverty, disrupt the prison pipeline and build bridges in communities. Since launching in March 2017, the organization has served thousands of students, employed dirt bike riders/ex-offenders and worked with city officials. She wants people to recognize and appreciate the natural genius and talent found in cities and to provide an opportunity to channel people's passions.

UPDATES: 

• On March 24, 2023, Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and local leaders announced a total of $3 million for the nation’s first dirt bike campus in Baltimore. As a safe place to ride off of city streets, the funding plans to expand STEM programs that utilize dirt bikes to get youth and young adults interested in engineering and other related career paths.
• She turns dirt bikers into science stars
• Brittany Young, founder of B-360 and EmPOWERED Business Accelerator Alumni, was honored at the inaugural Impact With Heart Awards in February, 2023

Nyasha Nyamapfene launched Gospel Run, a public health organization that inspires transformation and expanded possibilities by connecting communities, congregations and clergy. With programs and breakthrough experiences, Gospel Run motivates people to engage with their health in a new way.

Since its launch, Gospel Run has:

• Focused on building racial understanding among faith leaders by engaging and connecting them with race education practitioners and anti-racism training.
• Invited 50 pastors to connect with professionals in the mental health sector who can provide training on awareness and support.
• Launched a race in Kansas City with 1,000 participants expected.
• Partnered with the city of Cincinnati for a Gospel Run set for 2021.
• Identified 75 Gospel Run Health Ambassadors (volunteer community leaders) to lead the run teams in conversations about improving health.
   

Maria Rose Belding is co-founder and executive director of the MEANS Database. The nonprofit tech company has rerouted more than 2.2 million pounds of food to communities in need across the U.S. MEANS notifies food banks and pantries of available food donations, delivering surplus food from retailers to community organizations serving the hungry.

UPDATE: Because of her work with the MEANS Database, Belding has been featured as a CNN Hero, has helped connect more than 3,000 donors and food distributors and has saved over 2 million pounds of food.

Wilson continues his work with Goffers, which now follows a B2B model. Goffers is an on-demand mobile task assistance group that includes services like grocery shopping, laundry delivery and prescription refills as well as delivery of food to underserved communities through restaurant partnerships. On Tuesdays, Goffers partners with J’s Breakfast Club in Hobart, Indiana, to deliver excess food to over 50 organizations in need.

In 2018, Goffers founder Cecil Wilson created The Golden Baton Group (TGBG), a nonprofit that works to identify and connect the next generation of minority leaders. An idea born of his accelerator learnings and carrying the spirit of EmPOWERED to Serve, TGBG is now one of the fastest-growing mentor networks. It offers change agents multiple pathways to develop their business acumen while feeding their soul.