Accelerate South Jersey
Accelerate South Jersey
Accelerate South Jersey seeks to help those in Camden, Gloucester, and Philadelphia counties facing economic or other hardships to start and grow businesses of their own. The program lasts 12 months and is offered in partnership with the McKena Center for Human Development and Global Business at the University of Notre Dame. Rowan University manages the program in close partnership with local nonprofit groups, government offices, small businesses, and other university partners throughout the Southern New Jersey region.
Apply for the 2025 program by August 29, 2025
Goals
We seek to:
- Foster the creation of new, profitable ventures by those facing economic or other disadvantages
- Assist existing small businesses owned by those with disadvantages in becoming sustainable and growing
- Work with community members on the development of both the person as an entrepreneur and the business as a successful venture
- Identify and share best practices in poverty alleviation through entrepreneurship
- Measure and track the development and performance of entrepreneurs and their ventures based on program participation
- Celebrate entrepreneurial achievements of those facing/overcoming adversity
An Integrated Approach to Community Empowerment
Accelerate South Jersey is an integrated, multi-faceted program that involves six core elements:
- Training Programs: Community members participate in a six-week bootcamp, held on Saturday mornings, that introduces basic tools, concepts, and principles relevant to launching and growing a successful venture. The bootcamp is designed for people with little to no resources or background.
- One-on-One Consulting: Following the training, a consulting initiative pairs faculty, graduate students, and other partners with the entrepreneurs to work one-on-one solving particular problems.
- Mentoring: Participants can receive mentorship from a successful entrepreneur who, where possible, has experiences related to the type of business the entrepreneur is working on. In addition, an ‘expertise pool’ of mentors is available with advice on specific problem areas.
- Community Connect: Entrepreneurs are connected to valuable resources in the community through quarterly community forums, an Internet platform, and other communication vehicles. Another component is the Co-Marketing program, which encourages community members to do business with the program’s entrepreneurs.
- Microcredit: Local organizations and financial institutions create a micro-credit fund that provides low-interest and no-interest loans and grants to individuals as they attempt to launch ventures.
- Grant Support: Participants who complete the program are eligible to apply for small seed funding grants to help accelerate their ventures, up to $3,000. Funding is limited.
- Research and Tracking: The program conducts research documenting the challenges facing entrepreneurs, tracking their progress and identifying elements that are successful in helping them to move forward.
Program Timeline
1. Registration opens in July 17, 2025 (apply here).
2. Registration closes in August 29, 2025.
3. Boot camps meetings (6 of them) begin on September 6, 2025.
Community Bootcamp for Entrepreneurs
Program participants will benefit immensely from the Community Bootcamp for Entrepreneurs - an intense, hands-on exposure to the fundamentals of launching and growing a successful venture, taught by seasoned faculty, subject matter experts, and successful entrepreneurs. The bootcamp occurs on six consecutive Saturday mornings in the fall.
Topics covered in the Community Bootcamp address all facets of a successful venture, ranging from the development of a viable business concept to understanding your market, designing your profit model, setting up operations properly, marketing your venture, and understanding the basic numbers. Our underlying focus is how to think and act in entrepreneurial ways—including how to do more with less—and how to grow a venture when you have little in the way of resources. The approach will be interactive, so participants will be encouraged to bring business ideas and challenges into the weekly discussions.
2025 Bootcamp Dates:
Six Saturday mornings, 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
- Week One: September 6, 2025
- Week Two: September 13, 2025
- Week Three: September 20, 2025
- Week Four: October 4, 2025
- Week Five: October 25, 2025
- Week Six: November 1, 2025
Bootcamp Location:
Rohrer College of Business, Suite 209
201 Mullica Hill Rd. Glassboro, NJ 08028
Apply Today!
Apply at go.rowan.edu/ApplyAccelerateSJ by August 29, 2025. After applying and receiving acceptance into Accelerate South Jersey, participants will begin their experience with the Community Bootcamp for Entrepreneurs.
FAQs
Who should apply?
- Existing small businesses
- People who want to turn a side job into a full-time business
- People who have ideas for a business
Who is eligible to participate?
Anyone in Camden, Gloucester, or Philadelphia counties who suffers from adverse economic, physical, or related circumstances is eligible to participate in the program. We focus on supporting community members living in poverty who have a dream of starting and growing a venture, including those who have already started a venture but are struggling.
How does the application process work?
Each year, the ASJ Program is capped at 16 persons/businesses. Not all applications are accepted - you may be contacted for an interview to answer additional questions. Applications will be reviewed as received (rolling basis), and applicants will be notified of the acceptance decision as soon as possible. Once all 16 spots are filled, the application will be closed and no further applications can be considered.
What is the cost?
There is no cost; it is free for accepted applicants.
What are the criteria to receive grants from this Program?
In order to be eligible to receive a grant from this Program, applicants must attend all six (6) Saturday meetings, with any exceptions approved on an individualized basis at the discretion of the Program Director. Additionally, participants will be evaluated on the basis of completed work that will be taken to reflect the seriousness and viability of their intent to move forward with their business. Grants are expected to be from $1,000 to $2,000 per participant/business, but may vary (higher or lower) based on additional circumstances.
Where will we meet on Saturday mornings?
We will meet at Rowan University, at the College of Business building on Route 322 in Glassboro, NJ. If you have a hardship in being able to be present at this location, you should identify this in your application and efforts will be made to assist you to be present; there is no virtual option. Lunch will be provided for everyone at each meeting; sorry, we cannot accommodate any special dietary restrictions.
Can more than one person attend for my company/idea?
Yes, a business can have more than one person attend the bootcamps. We do need to know this so we can plan for attendee headcount for lunch. But please note that each business may be eligible for only one grant.
How can I support the program?
We welcome the involvement of community members as volunteers, mentors, and donors. Please contact program director, Mike Dominik, at dominik@rowan.edu to learn more.
Other Questions?
Contact the program director, Mike Dominik, at dominik@rowan.edu
Special thanks to our Program Sponsors
- University of Notre Dame
- Truist Foundation
- Holman Foundation
- Rowan University School of Innovation & Entrepreneurship
- Rowan Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship
- Joint Health Sciences Center
- Cooper Medical School of Rowan University