ABOUT WEPOWER

We partner with Black and Latinx communities to build power to re-design education, health, economic, and justice systems to be just and equitable for all. One of the ways we work with communities to build power is through entrepreneur support.

We invest in startups ready for scale and provide curriculum, coaching, and connections as they spark wealth-creating job growth in communities with whom we partner.

We engage the community through facilitating meaningful connections and amplifying residents voices to inform critical decisions that impact their lives. We also train community members to create new policy solutions, advocate, and lead change. We envision a future where we all have to power to lead, so every community prospers.

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

WEPOWER will soon launch our inaugural Elevate Accelerator for startups who are ready to scale their companies. Our accelerator will support a cohort of 10 early stage companies over a six-month cycle. Throughout the six-months, companies will access workshops (designed by Village Capital), a team of mentors, connections to technical service providers (legal, finance, HR, marketing), community-building experiences, and coaching from a dynamic and experienced Coach. By the end of the six-months, companies will: (1) be investment ready, (2) attracting new capital, (3) and scaling their ventures. 

WEPOWER has a targeted focus on Black and Latinx entrepreneurs with companies less than three-years old, have launched with an MVP, have some early traction, and ready to scale but limited access to capital and support.  WEPOWER seeks credentialed leaders who are lawyers, accountants, and HR professionals to meet one to four times per month one-on-one with the early-stage companies supported by the Elevate/Elevate Accelerator. _ _

_DURING OFFICE HOURS, _YOU WILL...

• Serve as an advisor and partner on strategy development and problem solving specific to your area of expertise.
• Share insight on best practices specific to your area of expertise and build the capacity of the founders to apply the best practices to their company operations. 
• Share useful resources, templates, and tools specific to your area of expertise.
• Continuously affirm the venture team, their identity, abilities, and potential to achieve impact and growth.

_ _

YOU HAVE SOME OF THE FOLLOWING EXPERIENCES & SKILLSETS...

• 3+ years of experience in your field
• Have great leadership qualities (team/bridge builder, good communicator, strategist, visionary/big picture thinker, facilitator, achiever and results oriented)
• Have real-life success stories of how you've had to apply the advice you're sharing.
• Have spent time helping to improve the community through acts of service
• Are an expert in one of the the areas listed in the section above.
• Have experience with and are comfortable engaging and supporting Black and Latinx entrepreneurs who are often underrepresented and underestimated.

BENEFITS

We acknowledge that you will be sharing your time and talent with WEPOWER and the venture team you support. That's an invaluable contribution, and we want to acknowledge you as a member of the WEPOWER family. Checkout of the benefits of being a Subject Matter Expert:

• Access and introductions to St. Louis' Black and Latinx startups
• Ability to network with like-minded professionals and business experts
• Featured on our website as “Subject Matter Expert”
• Hands-on experience with helping to build startups from the ground up
• Bi-annual celebration events

ON-BOARDING PROCESS

• ROUND 1: Complete volunteer application and, if selected, all safety and compliance documents.
• ROUND 2: Meet with a member of the WEPOWER team. 
• START: Welcome! Attend the on-boarding experience.