Join our Next Cohort

Are you a woman entrepreneur with a bold vision and a growing business? Ready to scale with strategy, support, and sisterhood?

The Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative (WEI) is now accepting applications for our next cohort—a 9-month accelerator program powered by the City of Atlanta and Invest Atlanta. This is your chance to access mentorship, funding opportunities, monthly co-working, and a powerful community of founders just like you.

We are searching for female founded/led companies in the following two classifications:

• High Growth Enterprises – Entities capable of creating jobs in areas such as Tech (SaaS, AI, edtech, fintech), digital marketing, CPG, advanced manufacturing. 
• Social Impact Scalable Enterprises – For Profit, For Good entities focused on areas such as Food systems, early childhood education, home repair, elder care, green energy, logistics. 

We’re looking for ambitious, early-stage women entrepreneurs who are ready to put in the work—and rise together.

About You:

In order to qualify for our program, you/your business must meet the following criteria:

• Be an Atlanta-based female entrepreneur (active state business registration and City of Atlanta Business License at time of application)
• Your business is 12+ months old and generates $50K+ in revenue
• You are committed to building scalable ventures and creating quality jobs ($40K+ wages with benefits). We want you to be thinking big about investment, revenue & jobs. Our minimal expectations is that you will hit $1 million in revenue and create 10 jobs, within 3 years of graduation from this program.

Not at the right stage for our Accelerator Program? We’d still love to have you in our Community. Join our Community.

About the Program:

Our 9 month program is based on our 4 pillars:

1. Business Analysis – One-on-one mentorship + pain point diagnostics from industry leaders. 
2. Learning & Leadership Development – Partnership-ready training through live sessions, digital tools, and expert coaching. 
3. Strategic Partnerships – Pipeline access to corporations, anchor institutions, and public-private networks. 
4. Funding Opportunities – Capital strategy support—from grant writing to investor prep to contract-readiness. 

The program will be executed hybrid – part virtual, part in-person. Each month will have a specific focus area (based on the 4 pillars) and include workshops, guest speakers, coaching, and actionable deliverables.  Participants should be able to complete the program requirements in ~20 hours per month: 4 hours of scheduled workshops/mentoring, 16 hours of work on your business in your own time.

New in 2025:

• Hybrid Model: Online + in-person programming 
• Dedicated Mentorship: 1:1 Entrepreneur-in-Residence + shared business mentors 
• Digital Platform: Resources + curated networking events shared seamlessly
• Community-Based Support Hubs: ATDC, The LOLA, RICE, and more 
• Monthly Milestones: Accountability meets real-world outcomes 

If this sounds like you, and your business is ready for the next level. WEI can help you get there. APPLY TODAY!

About the Application Process

Our application is not for the faint of heart. Sorry to make you go through all these hoops, but, we only have 15 spots – so we need to ensure you are the right fit for our program!

Selection Process:

Stage 1: Eligibility + Financial Review – Applications are reviewed for basic eligibility, revenue confirmation, and financial documentation.
Stage 2: Application Scoring by Entrepreneurs in Residence & WEI Board – Applicants will be scored across six categories:

• Business Model Clarity (40%)
• Program Fit (30%)
• Growth Potential (30%)

Stage 3: Interview Selection – Approximately 30 top applicants are invited to interviews.
Stage 4: Interviews – We assess program alignment, founder grit, capacity, and readiness.
Stage 5: Final Cohort Selection -15 female entrepreneurs are selected, ensuring a balance across business models and program tracks. Finalists will need to go through a background check.

Preparing for the Application Process:

You should have an active business registration in the State of Georgia & City of Atlanta Business Occupational Tax Certificate (AKA Business License). These will be verified at the time your application is submitted.

You will need to share a quick 2-3 minute video presentation on your business where you explain why you and your business would be a good fit for the Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative. Note: we are not concerned about production quality. We just want to learn more about you and your business quickly. Passion is much more important than Production Quality. (More details included in the application process.)

You will need to upload 2 of the following: a capabilities statement, 1 page business plan/business model canvas, short pitch deck (7 pages), official business certifications and/or a professional recommendation.

You will need to show proof of revenue in the form of P&L Statements or a Schedule C from your Tax Forms and a Revenue Forecast Model to show your growth plans.