The Enterprise Center Seeking Local Business Owners for Accelerator Program

The Enterprise Center, a West Philadelphia-based community development corporation (CDC), is seeking applicants for a year-long accelerator program called ELevate, which offers local business owners peer support, credit repair, expert advice and access to low-cost financing.

The program is named for its location inside the Enterprise Center’s headquarters, which sits directly next to the elevated Market-Frankford Line. The huge satellite dish on top of the building is almost an icon of the West Philadelphia skyline.

Applicants must represent businesses that have been in operation for six months and completed at least one sale. They also must be based in Philadelphia and committed to staying.

The application states that the program trying to draw businesses from the following sectors:

• Beauty/Hair
• Construction
• Creative/Fashion
• Food
• Retail

The accelerator fits into The Enterprise Center’s particular brand of community development, which emphasizes supporting small businesses and local entrepreneurs through a mix of services. The Dorrance H. Hamilton Center for Culinary Enterprises, for example, which was built by the CDC, is a kind of shared work space for food-based entrepreneurs that also provides business support services.

The deadline for applications to the ELevate accelerator is tomorrow, May 28 at 5 p.m. More information is available here.

Photo via theenterprisecenter.com.