2015
The objective of Project 500 (now 1863).
In 2016 we committed to surfacing 500 entrepreneurs in three years in DC; the organization found 527Black entrepreneurs in just 18 months. Both of these milestones spoke to the need for business training, mentorship and capital for Black entrepreneurs who had been in business beyond 1-3 years. There is a clear market opportunity to support local entrepreneurs to create wealth for themselves and their communities was obvious.
2019 - Now
Our mission at 1863 Ventures
Our programs seek to accelerate new majority entrepreneurs from high potential to high growth. Our vision is to create $100B of new wealth and economic power for and by the New Majority.
Over the past several years, 1863 Ventures has had the honor of working with over 2,500 early-stage and growth-stage founders through our formal programs across a multitude of sectors and industries. With a membership representing nearly$300M and several thousand jobs, 1863 is fortunate to have crossed paths with some of the best and brightest founders in the nation.
Remembering our roots
Though we're a national brand, we are deeply committed to being a force of change in the nations capital.
Participants receive free, non-dilutive instruction from industry experts on a wide variety of topics framed around key best practices, systems & processes.
After instruction, participants apply their learnings in real-time to their business. After each program, they receive one-on-one support from both the 1863 team and Brain Trust in order to refine their strategy and implementation.