ICA Fund Good Jobs Launches First of its Kind "Good Jobs Accelerator"

OAKLAND, Calif., Oct. 4, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- ICA Fund Good Jobs has launched its first ever Good Jobs Accelerator in Oakland, California. The Accelerator is tailored to the needs of our small businesses and based on our hands-on advising model. It is the first accelerator focused on the creation of good jobs. The organization has selected 10 companies for the inaugural cohort. These companies have completed educational offerings from ICA Fund Good Jobs, are poised for rapid growth, and are led by entrepreneurs who are committed to creating good jobs.

"This is a powerful moment for our mission" said Sean Daniel Murphy, CEO of ICA Fund Good Jobs, "the Accelerator takes our advisor-led model to the next level. The Accelerator companies will have an entire ecosystem of support at their disposal, and this fully integrated approach is designed to prepare companies to access growth capital and create accessible good jobs."

The inaugural Good Jobs Accelerator cohort is comprised of the following companies: Red Door Catering, Café Fanny, Mr. Sparkle, Eby Construction, Onigilly, AGW Screen Works, 4505 Meats, Spotlight:Girls, Chop Plentii, and Reem's. Each entrepreneur has been assigned a lead advisor who will guide them through tailored work plans and track progress toward their goals. Accelerator companies will receive advice on business strategy, finance, organizational development, human resources, marketing and branding.

"The Good Jobs Accelerator is a natural evolution of the advisory work we have done with small businesses over the past 20 years," said Ingrid Jacobson, Managing Director of Entrepreneur Services at ICA Fund Good Jobs. "The Accelerator encompasses the most impactful approaches to growing companies that we have identified over that time. Our goal is to promote greater focus, structure and accountability for these companies as they move through this program over the next 9 months."

The Good Jobs Accelerator has also enlisted the support of partner organizations to assist the cohort entrepreneurs as they grow their businesses and create good jobs, including capital providers, workforce development partners, and various professional service providers to help with legal, accounting and branding needs. The Accelerator Advisory Board is also a diverse group, and includes local government officials, philanthropists, and experienced business leaders.

The Good Jobs Accelerator is funded in part by a recent large grant from The James Irvine Foundation, which is committed to expanding economic and political opportunity for families and young adults who are working but struggling with poverty. ICA Fund Good Jobs will seek additional funding for the Good Jobs Accelerator in order to expand its capacity, serve additional cohorts each year and ultimately help more entrepreneurs create more good jobs.

About ICA Fund Good Jobs:
The mission of ICA Fund Good Jobs is to educate, accelerate and invest in high-growth small businesses in order to create accessible good jobs that lead to equitable communities for all. We work with small businesses to secure investment capital, plan for sustainable growth, build strong leadership teams, and hire people who have experienced barriers to employment. We believe that communities thrive when every person has access to a good job – one that pays a living wage, provides benefits and a supportive culture, and offers opportunities for employees to advance in their careers and we want every worker to have a good job. Join us at 20/20 our 20^th Anniversary Celebration on November 17^th as we celebrate our history and chart the course for the next 20 years of good job creation: event.icafundgoodjobs.org  

SOURCE ICA Fund Good Jobs

Related Links

http://www.icafundgoodjobs.org