Quarterly Impact Report - 2020
The '21 Cohort Orientation
From the Chair
From the 2021 Minority Business Accelerator Program Chair, Ralph Garcia, RGA Advisory

Why I got involved.

As a young boy in West Tampa, I often would daydream what it would be like to have an important job where you got to wear a suit and tie to work (yes, those were different times). There weren’t many people in my neighborhood who did. My greatest blessing was to have wonderful parents who believed in the American dream and pushed my sister and me to be worthy of its bounty. Through diligence and extraordinary luck, I was able to reach many of the goals that my parents pointed out to me and yes, I got to wear more suits and ties than I ever imagined. Over time, as many busy people do, I began to not savor my accomplishments and take them for granted in the race to “better” myself. 

2019 By the Numbers
45
New Jobs Created
9
Vacancies Filled
50
New Corporate Contracts
5
Companies Securing New Capital
10
New Assets Acquired
39
Strategic Introductions Made
Note: All impact numbers are reported on an aggregate basis for all combined cohort groups. The metrics are reflected of the 2019 calendar year.
The 2021 Cohort
Benjamin Walker
Owner – Buyer's Point
Buyer’s Point  is a 100% online retail store that specializes in low voltage electric supply and is trusted by more than 150,000 customers worldwide. They offer products for residential and commercial buildings; covering industries including but not limited to homes, condos, churches, hotels, military, and recreational vehicles. Buyer's Point was founded in 2010 and currently has 5 employees.

Buyer's Point was a 2019 Semi-Finalist for the Chamber's Small Business of the Year Award and was recently selected as one of only eight firms invited to participate in Suffolk’s Trades Partnership Series in Tampa Bay.
Ice Cold Air  is an 8 bay full-service automotive repair and service facility. They specialize in automotive air conditioning repair and fleet management. This location was founded in 2006 and currently has ten employees.

Ice Cold Air has been featured in print and media outlets for their community support efforts. In November 2019 they were profiled in Parenting Magazine for their positive reader board messages.

Ashley is the Chair of the Black Leadership Network at the University of South Florida. She has been nominated for Alumni of the year under 35 at USF and for 40 under 40 by the Tampa Bay Business Journal. 
Ashley Butler
President – Ice Cold Air
Jerel McCants
President – Jerel McCants Architecture
Jerel McCants Architecture, Inc.  is a full service boutique architectural and interiors firm specializing in educational, residential, commercial, cultural and federal markets. JMA, Inc. was established in 2009 and has been published in various magazines and newspaper articles.

The JMA, Inc. firm won the South Tampa Chamber of Commerce 2015 Small Business of the Year Award and was accepted into the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) Certification Business Development Program.
Versa-Tile & Marble Inc , is a specialty trade contractor within the construction industry. They specialize in tile installation of commercial properties in all capacities. Versa-Tile and Marble Inc was founded in 2002 and currently has 6 employees.
Shaun Womack
President – Versa-Tile & Marble
Minority Business Accelerator Updates
If you are interested in learning more about the Minority Business Accelerator program or would like to be involved, please reach out to Avril Stinson .
Thank You to Our Founding Sponsors
Thank you to our Community Partners