The Community College of Baltimore County’s (CCBC) Center for Business Innovation (CBI) is thrilled to announce a $40,000 grant from Wells Fargo to support its ongoing efforts to foster an ecosystem of entrepreneurship in the Baltimore region. This funding will enhance coaching services and provide seed money to small business startups through CCBC’s Elite Accelerator Program.
For over a decade, the CCBC Center for Business Innovation has boosted entrepreneurship, helping more than 4,000 students, alumni, and community members enhance their business skills, access capital, and expand their entrepreneurial networks. The generous grant from Wells Fargo will allow the Center to double its seed funding awards distributed through its accelerator program.
The Elite Accelerator Program is an invitation-only initiative for the top ten companies from CCBC's Business Plan Competitions and retail initiative, The Collective. Members benefit from monthly coaching sessions with leading business experts, one-on-one mentoring, and a grant for successful participation—all at no cost, thanks to support from our funders. Wells Fargo’s grant will match the funding from the Philip E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation, further enhancing the resources available to participants. CBI is fortunate to have both organizations supporting its mission.
“We are excited to partner with Wells Fargo to continue to help entrepreneurs and small business owners,” said Professor Dennis Sullivan, Executive Director of the CCBC Center for Business Innovation.
“This grant will enable us to provide even more resources for entrepreneurs as they work to grow their businesses.”
Traci Horne, vice president, Community Impact and Philanthropy, at Wells Fargo, stated, “This grant from Wells Fargo is a testament to our unwavering focus on empowering entrepreneurs in the Baltimore region. We are thrilled to collaborate the CCBC Center for Business Innovation to support their Elite Acceleration Program, equipping small startup businesses with critical coaching resources and seed funding to ignite their growth. As a champion of small business growth, Wells Fargo is proud to make a philanthropic investment in this dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem and advocate for innovators who will shape Baltimore’s future.”
In addition to supporting the Accelerator Program, the grant will enhance professional coaching services through the Center’s Think and Grow Seminar Series, which offers free speaking engagements to aspiring and established entrepreneurs focusing on topics such as digital marketing, social media strategies, and intellectual property in entrepreneurship.
For more information about the CCBC Center for Business Innovation and its programs, visit ccbcmd.edu/innovation.
Since 1957, CCBC has opened the doors to accessible, affordable, high-quality education empowering generations of area residents to transform their lives and the lives of others. Each year, over 50,000 students enroll at the college’s main campuses, extension centers and online to make their starts, earn degrees, launch and build careers. CCBC offers the region’s most expansive selection of degree, certificate and workplace certification programs that prepare students for transfer, job entry and career advancement in such industries as business, education, health care, information technology, cybersecurity, construction, and transportation. Designated as the “Best Community College” among the Maryland Daily Record’s 2024 Reader Rankings, CCBC is also nationally recognized as a leader in innovative learning strategies and among the nation’s top associate degree producers.