On Tuesday, April 8, Startup Savannah kicked off the first class session for their intensive, 12-week accelerator program, SPARK Savannah. The fifteen entrepreneurs, who were carefully selected through a rigorous application process, are the following:

• Nyna Kumi Butler – Melanin Palace

• Amy Paige Condon – The Refinery Writing Studio

• Hannah Eyre – Savannah Ice Tub Club

• Dr. SallyAnn Gray – Gray Focus Training Solutions

• Richard Griffin – DR Farm Organic Juices Inc

• Dora Jenkins – Sole of Blaq Pearl

• Nicole Lee – Be Smart Home Solutions

• Ted Meyer – Roost Aerostorage

• Denae Murray – Dee’s Deelish Desserts

• JaQuan Oliver – Dear Young People

• Dwanjai Owens – After Words Book Club/Bar

• Lydia Stearns – Lydia's Pies

• Jah'Va Walker – My Moment LLC

• Ethan Watters – Electric Revenue LLC

• Sapphire Starr Wilder – Organize Kaos Enterprise LLC

“SPARK Savannah represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for business founders to get access to some of the finest instructors in the Savannah region, coupled with a first-time opportunity to experience the beauty of SCAD's Deloitte Foundry,” says Nick Palumbo, Executive Director of Startup Savannah. “We are so excited for this inaugural cohort of SPARK, and can't wait for them to catch fire!”

On the first day of the program, Comcast announced to the class their generous donation of a laptop to each of the founders. They join community-wide support for SPARK Savannah, with partners coming to the table in ways that Savannah’s entrepreneurial ecosystem has never seen before; SCAD is opening its doors for the first time to support these innovative community businesses, hosting the accelerator at the Deloitte Foundry.

Over the next twelve weeks, these fifteen founders will learn from Kauffman FastTrac, the Startup Savannah team, business experts from across the community, and from each other, covering topics such as Market Research, Pricing Strategy, Financial Modelling, and Pitching. By the end, they will have a complete business plan, along with intangible knowledge, skills, and connections to set them up for success in their entrepreneurial journeys. The founders will also have the opportunity to win a Business Development Grant based on their comprehensive engagement in the program, competing for top-three prizes of $3000, $1500, and $500.

More information about Startup Savannah can be found at startupsavannah.org