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More Than An Accelerator

In partnership with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), our program is built around three of the four C's in our theory of change: consulting, coaching, & connections. Unlike other content-based accelerators, our no fee, no equity, 20-week experience is custom tailored to each company's specific business challenges and needs. Companies accepted into our program are matched with a pro bono consulting team, business coach, and a network of connections all partnering together to tackle the active strategic issues needed to get companies to their next stage of growth. 

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CONSULTING

Our partners from BCG Spark provide each company with a pro bono team skilled at solving business challenges in Strategy, Sales & Marketing, Operations, and more.

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CONNECTIONS

Throughout the program, we will facilitate connections from our extensive network according to each company's needs. Companies will also have access to engage with industry and entrepreneur leaders in private speaker sessions centered around topics in entrepeneurship.

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COACHING

While the consulting teams focus on the companies, business coaches focus on the founders. We have teams of seasoned business leaders and entrepreneur coaches across a variety of industries.

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RESOURCE TOOLBOX

In addition to the three C's, companies have access to benefits and discounts valued at over $50,000 from partners such as Amazon Web Services, Google for Startups, HubSpot, Scroobious, The Capital Network (TCN), executive coaches, and more to help them grow their businesses.

Program Overview

We take one annual cohort per year and our program runs from October through March. The program is designed to take minimal time from founders (we recognize entrepreneurs have a business to run!) while providing maximum value to the business. While coaching is specifically for founders, founders are not required to attend all program events and are welcome to invite team members to other events and meetings. See a sample schedule below and meet our team of coaches, mentors, and speakers here.

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CONSULTING ENGAGEMENT

The core of our program is providing tailored, company-specific consulting from subject matter experts  to partner with companies to solve the specific business challenges needed for growth. We partner with the best consultants and operators in the world to bring world-class expertise and resources to our companies. See below for the progression of a typical consulting engagement.

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Project Scope & Definition (Oct - Dec)

Companies will work with their matched team & coach to define 2-3 key business questions or problems to be tackled.

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Background & Discovery (Dec - Jan)

To ensure success of the project, teams will start with a deep dive into understanding the company and its goals.

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Work Execution (Jan - Feb)

Consulting teams run with projects and check-in with companies every 1-2 weeks.

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Analysis & Delivery (Mar - Apr)

While smaller & interim deliverables may be completed sooner, the bulk will be presented late March to early April.

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Join the Alumni Community

Companies continue to be eligible for connections, follow-on support, and access to special events.

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Past Cohort Projects

A SAAS COMPANY

Projects

  • Pricing: Developed dynamic pricing tool and packaging strategy

  • Strategy: Created tactical go-to-market playbook to grow awareness and demand

  • Scale: Organizational design to scale capacity and capabilities

A RETAIL COMPANY

Projects

  • Optimized supply chain and logistics: Developed demand forecasting tool

  • Marketing: Analyzed ad spend to create marketing strategy

  • Scale: Identified and defined new roles, opportunities for cross training, and key risks

A GREENTECH COMPANY

Projects

  • Scale: Created a scalable data-driven model for prioritizing markets for expansion

  • Strategy: Created business cases for markets in a COVID-19 world

Past Projects

Who is a good fit for this program?

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!

Frequent Asked Questions

Who is this program 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 US-based, for profit companies.

Where is the program run?

While programs are operated virtually, the program takes 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 2023, Majira currently operates in the following regional areas: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Miami, Pittsburgh, Seattle, and the San Francisco Bay Area. As our program is primarily virtual, we will consider compelling US-based companies outside of these areas.

What makes a company a good fit for the program?

Due to our mission to close the racial wealth gap, our program is targeted to assist companies led by Black, Latinx, or Indigenous 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 two full-time members and one full-time employee who is able to commit to participating (does not need to be the founder). In addition, this program is most valuable for revenue-generating companies looking to cross the $1M or $2M and beyond milestones. 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 program include?

Selected companies are matched with a pro bono consulting team 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 program cost?

This 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 program?

We specifically design our program to be light on time commitment for founders while maximizing value. Our program is 20 weeks starting from the end of October to the beginning of April. 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 program?

We review all applications submitted through our online application form during the application cycle (typically late summer / early fall). 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 Dates

Our application cycle for the 2023- 2024 is now open. Please apply here. We will follow up with candidates as we evaluate applications and all decisions will be announced in late September - early October.  Feel free to reach out to us below to connect and learn more about us.

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