A foundation launched by a former Procter & Gamble executive has secured $50,000 in funding from the nation’s largest woman-owned advertising agency to start an accelerator focused on female entrepreneurs.
The Sister Accord Foundation, founded by Sonia Jackson Myles in 2013 after a 20-year career at Ford, Gillette and P&G, has launched the Sister Accord Accelerator, a new program that will help female entrepreneurs rapidly grow and scale their businesses through a combination of grants, education and mentorship.
The program will begin in April and is made possible with the support of Jean Freeman and her firm, Los-Angeles-based Zambezi, which has given $50,000 to fund the initial group of participants.
“I am honored that Jean has not only seen the potential in this program, and agreed to partner with me on creating the curriculum and helping lead the program, but, also with the support of her firm, Zambezi, has given this generous grant that will make this first class possible,” said Myles
The Sister Accord Accelerator is designed to fuel the growth of existing female-owned businesses by providing monetary support, business education and mentorship – the tangible tools needed to scale a business. As part of the program, five female entrepreneurs will be given a $10,000 grant, ongoing mentorship from Myles and Freeman. Over the course of four months, Accelerator participants will have ongoing mentorship meetings and will also attend a number of educational sessions focused on sales, marketing, operations and growth.
In addition to her work with her foundation, Myles serves as an advisor and executive coach to numerous Fortune 500 companies and startups with a focus on leadership development; growth strategies to diversity, particularly in the areas of MBE development, unconscious bias training, and women’s initiatives; change management; employee engagement; and creating a culture where employees can thrive.
Through a variety of programs, grants, scholarships and pandemic-related financial aid, the Sister Accord’s work always ladders back to its three pillars: to – through self-awareness and leadership development – educate girls and women, enlighten them of the power of sisterhood, and eradicate the bullying and violence they face. Since late 2019, between The Sister Accord Foundation & The Sister Accord, LLC, over $120,000 in grants, scholarships, and financial support has been given to individuals to pay rent, mortgage, and other bills. The Sister Accord Foundation also celebrated its move to become an official global organization with the launch of a Sister Accord chapter in Harare, Zimbabwe.