A select group of business owners attended the launch of the Airport Concessioner Accelerator Program (ACAP) on May 8, 2024. The ACAP Cohort was developed in partnership with ACE | Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs, Morehouse Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (MIEC), and the Airport Minority Advisory Council (AMAC) to support diverse entrepreneurs with the opportunity to prepare to enter airport concessions at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
Over 75 business owners applied for the Airport Concessioner Accelerator Program (ACAP) cohort, and only 23 were chosen – about one-third of which were ACE clients. During the eight-week program participants will learn and develop skills including marketing, securing capital and scaling their business for an airport environment.
“Last week marked the exciting launch of the Airport Concessionaires Accelerator Program, a dynamic collaboration between ACE | Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs, the program sponsor, Morehouse Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center (MIEC), and Airport Minority Advisory Council (AMAC),” said Ray Pennie, ACE Chief of Business Advisory Services. “We extend our sincerest gratitude to Dr. Tiffany Rogers Bussey and Danita Harris for their invaluable partnership. We are excited to unveil this groundbreaking concessions Cohort aimed at empowering minority and underserved businesses at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. This program is set to deliver indispensable insights and expertise for those aiming to enter the airport concessions arena.”
“My why is positive representation,” said ACE client Kris Hale of Dope Pieces Puzzle Company when asked why this program is important to her. “I’ve been doing puzzles ever since I was 5 years old. It’s a $9 billion industry and there is not enough images that positively reflect black and brown communities so I wanted to make sure that they were getting that and we’re providing that for them.”
The cohort will meet in person and virtually with leaders in the airport industry through July.
To learn more about the Airport Concessions Cohort program, visit HERE