Digitalundivided (DID) is currently accepting applications for BIGATL, a 26-week incubator program for high-potential black and Latina women founders of tech-enabled startups centered in an experiential learning/doing environment. According to the site, BIG is more than an incubator, it’s a direct pathway into the innovation economy for women of color.
The BIG process begins with START, an invite-only weekend of ideation, pitching, feedback, and networking, held the first weekend in February. From this weekend, the BIG team chooses the cohort for the BIG Incubator.
There are three different pillars that the incubator focuses on: Customer Development, Product Development, and Company Development.
Module 1: Customer Development moves ideas into potential companies, developing Product/Market fit through Customer Discovery, Business Model Canvas, and a Minimally Viable Product (MVP).
Module 2: Product Development focuses on expanding the MVP into a working product with initial market traction with a focus on building a team.
Module 3: Company Development focuses on your Company and what it needs: demonstrated growth, technology components, and legal, financial, investor, marketing structural elements.
The 2018 cohort starts on the last week of February and the program fees are as follows, $49 per person for START weekend and $499 per module if accepted.
This type of program makes sense for companies who are extremely early-stage and not too familiar with the business of startups. This will allow them to grasp a solid foundation and guidance from industry professionals. Companies who are later-stage, already have a product on the market, and are ready to scale may want to look into an accelerator as opposed to an incubator.
Since 2013, DID has impacted over 2,000 people and helped raise $15MM in investments. In 2016, their groundbreaking research, #ProjectDiane, drew lots of curiosity for disrupting the dialogue around women of color and tech entrepreneurship, according to DID’s website.
If you are interested in participating, you can find more information here: digitalundivided.com/incubator/ or contact sheila@digitalundivided.com.