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Interested in Majira?

Are you a Black, Latinx, or Indigenous founder or is your company serving under-resourced communities? We'd love to connect with you to learn how we may be able to help you and your business grow.

 

Looking to apply to our accelerator?

We typically have many more applicants than the limited number of spots in our accelerator. Please review the below for more information on the criteria we use to determine who would be a good fit for our program and the profile of previously successful applicants.

 

While we review every application thoroughly and holistically, we provide this aggregate data to illustrate the general type of company that receives the most value out of our program and will be likely to be accepted. 

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Learn more about our accelerator on our Program page.

TEAM

We are looking for companies with a team of founders and/or senior leaders. Solo founders typically find it challenging to fully absorb our consulting & coaching engagement. We also want to ensure at least one full-time member can commit to participation in the program.

TRACTION

We look for recurring revenue from small businesses and evidence of plans beyond ideation for startups (e.g., beta version of a minimal viable product or previous accelerator/incubator experience).

TARGETS

We look for companies with an active business challenge that our consultants and experts will be well-suited to help with. This means that not every company that aligns demographically will be a good fit. Also, the same company may be a good fit one year, but not another - we encourage re-applications!

Accepted Cohort Profile (Pre-Program)

Demographics

66%

Women-led companies

97%

Black or Latinx -led companies

Funding

$900,000

Median

$26K - $2.4M

Middle 60th%

Revenue

$300,000

Median

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$100K - $740K

Middle 60th%

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Employees (Full-Time Equivalents)

6

Median

3.5 - 18.8

Middle 60th%

Frequent Asked Questions

Who is the Majira Project for?

The Majira Project is ideal for startups and small to mid-sized growth companies who have strategy, sales & marketing, and/or operational needs to take their business to the next level. We are industry-agnostic and have worked with companies across various industries. Due to our mission to close the racial wealth gap, our program is specifically to assist companies led by Black, Latinx, or Indigenous founders and/or serving underserved communities. At this time, we only work with for profit companies.

Why was the Majira Project created?

While there are many opportunities for companies to receive guidance and mentorship during second stage growth and via pre-accelerators, accelerators, and incubators across the country, we aim to fill a gap for post-accelerator/post-incubator stage companies as many of them do not have continuing mentorship. There is a similar "missing middle" with small businesses where many plateau and have difficulty achieving the escape velocity to surpass the $2M ARR mark. We aim to help them achieve first and second stage growth, while at the same time building a community with their cohort members and strengthening the overall entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Where does the Majira Project work?

The Majira Project was founded in Boston, Massachusetts and operated in person from 2016-2019. While programs are now operated virtually, Majira continues to take a regional community approach where matched teams are typically no more than three hours away from companies to strengthen regional ecosystems and allow for in-person visits as appropriate. As of 2021, Majira currently operates in the following regional areas: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. In 2022, we plan to add Miami, Seattle, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

What makes a company a good fit for the Majira Project accelerator?

Due to our mission to close the racial wealth gap, our program is targeted to assist companies led by Black or Latinx founders and/or serving underserved communities. Beyond that, we evaluate companies on three dimensions: team, traction, and substantive project potential. We've found that in order for companies to fully absorb the benefits of the program, they need to have a team with at least one full-time employee able to participate. In addition, our work is most valuable for companies with some proven traction - recurring revenue for small businesses and evidence of plans beyond ideation for startups (e.g., previous accelerator experience or a beta version of a minimal viable product). See the previously accepted cohort statistics above to get a sense of the typical size of companies we work with. Finally, we look for companies with substantive strategy, sales & marketing, and/or operations business challenges or projects that our consulting teams will be well-equipped to address.

What does the Majira Project accelerator include?

Selected companies are matched with a pro bono consulting teams skilled in key areas aligned with their business needs including strategy, marketing, sales, pricing, and operations. In addition to their consulting team, Majira will match the company with a business coach for to oversee their program experience and provide mentoring and advising.  All groups will work together to facilitate connections for the company. Twice a month, cohort speaker sessions on topics relevant to entrepreneurs (e.g., Sales & Marketing, Funding, Leadership, Mental Health) will not only provide the opportunity to learn from industry professionals, but also to network with other entrepreneurs.

How much does the accelerator cost?

The Majira Project is a no-fee, no-equity program. However, we do ask alumni to consider paying it forward by donating their time, talent, and/or treasure to future cohorts as they are able. Over 40% of our alumni so far have returned to speak or mentor other entrepreneurs.

What is the time commitment for the accelerator?

We specifically design our program to be light on time commitment for founders while maximizing value. Our program is 16 weeks starting from the end of September to the beginning of February. During that period, we estimate an average of 2-3 hours/week with the bulk of the time being front-loaded to ensure consultant teams have what they need to tackle the desired projects. The time is comprised of meetings with consultant teams, coaches, and our twice-a-month, hour-long speaker sessions that are optional (but valuable!). However, founders do NOT need to attend all meetings - team members are welcome and encouraged. Founders are asked to check-in bi-weekly with their coaches, meet with our Executive Director once during the program, and attend the kickoff and closing events.

What is the selection process for the accelerator?

We review all applications submitted through our online application form during the application cycle (typically late spring/early summer). Prospects who seem like a good fit will then be contacted to schedule a 15-30 minute interview for us to learn more and confirm fit.
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Application Deadlines

Our application cycle for the 2021-2022 cohort has closed. We have not yet opened our applications for the 2022-2023 cohort. Please check back in the spring or subscribe to our newsletter to be notified when applications open. Feel free to reach out to us below to connect and learn more about us.