Square, a leading payment-processing company, has recently launched an accelerator program called Forward to support Black and Latino retail business owners in the United States.
The program aims to help these entrepreneurs overcome systemic barriers by providing them with essential resources such as funding, coaching, hardware, and checking and savings accounts. Latinos are opening small businesses at a faster rate than other groups in the U.S., but they often struggle to access capital.
Square has partnered with Social Change Fund United and prominent entrepreneurs like Dwyane Wade, Rosario Dawson, and Ayesha Curry to offer mentorship and guidance to the participants of the Forward program. Square 's Forward accelerator will support 25 early-stage businesses that have been operating for less than three years.
Each selected business will receive $20,000 in funding, along with exclusive access to training sessions developed in partnership with 1863 Ventures, a leader in providing culturally competent business curricula.
These trainings will cover topics such as leadership, customer development, scaling operations, and managing financial growth.
To qualify for the program, retail businesses must be based in the U.S., be within their first three years of operation, and be founded by or have a current CEO who identifies as Black/African American or Latino…
