About the FoundHer Program
FoundHer accelerates growth for women-founded businesses in Hawai’i. The program is especially for historically overlooked and unsupported AAPI and Native Hawaiian wāhine.
No other accelerator program in the state is specifically for women, and no other accelerator in the U.S. has FoundHer’s unique combination of capital, family care, mentorship and skill-building for AAPI and indigenous women. As founders, mothers, and caretakers ourselves, we are committed to removing barriers to women’s success in early-stage business start-ups.
Applications open: August 1, 2023 – October 31, 2023
Program At A Glance
- 6 month duration
- Start date: March 2024
- 5 company cohort size
Resources
- $20,000 grant
- $4,000 care stipend
- Weekly educational workshops
- National network of business mentors and advisors
- Monthly retreats for place-based learning and networking opportunities
Who We Serve
- For-profit small businesses
- Businesses in their early stages
- Proof of business concept
- 50% AANHPI Women-Led
- Based in Hawaiʻi
Industries We Serve
Highlights
- 10 company portfolio
- All companies less than three years old
- 350 applications to date
- Cohort 1 tripled average revenue within 1 year of joining the program
Program Requirements
FoundHers are required to:
- Meet with mentor(s) for 1-2 hours per month
- Complete monthly and quarterly progress surveys
- Have one co-founder from their team attend:
- Virtual educational sessions, check-ins with the program manager, and cohort check-ins
- In-person program kick-off, retreats, and graduation
Workshop Topics
FoundHerʻs business curriculum is supported by local and national facilitators, experts, and collaborators covering a variety of topics including but not limited to:
- Business strategy and implementation
- Branding, marketing, and how-to-pitch
- How to streamline production and increase sales
- Expanding wholesale accounts and participating in new markets
- Increasing confidence in managing a businesses
