Seven Worcester businesses participate in Interise minority business academy

Interise, a Boston-based nonprofit with the goal of providing resources and assistance to minority-owned or low-income area-based organizations, has brought its NextStage Minority Business Entrepreneur Academy and NextStage Accelerator to Central Massachusetts in partnership with The Urban League of Springfield and Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts. 

The program is free for businesses to participate in, and uses Interise’s StreetWise MBA curriculum, which is intended to help businesses become growth-ready, according to a May press release from Interise.

Two of the seven total Worcester businesses enrolled in the program are GEM Marketing Solutions and Magic Lamp Consulting. There are 18 companies in the cohort overall.

“These programs are yet another way to provide much-needed assistance to minority-owned small business owners located in key cities throughout the state of Massachusetts,” Interise CEO Darrell Byers said in the press release.

The program is focused on Gateway Cities throughout Massachusetts and is funded by an earmarked portion of the federal American Rescue Plan Act totalling $3 million, according to the release. 

The cohorts based in Holyoke, Worcester County, and Merrimack Valley began the program in April, according to the release, and subsequent groups in Boston and Brockton will enroll before the end of the year. 

NextStage Accelerator is offered in English and Spanish. NextStage Minority Business Entrepreneur Academy will be in English only.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story stated there were two Worcester companies participating in the program.