Venture Noire
Venture Noire is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs accelerator cohorts, regional entrepreneurship events, and podcasts to help Black and BIPOC founders launch, scale, and reach retail and international markets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersBentonville, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Venture Noire does
Venture Noire is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 85-1340632) headquartered at 702 SE 5th St., Bentonville, AR 72712, founded by Keenan Beasley to close the "quality of life gap" by supporting Black and minority entrepreneurs. The organization operates a portfolio of programs rather than a unified software product: accelerator cohorts including the Ulta MUSE Accelerator (BIPOC-founded beauty brands targeting retail scale) and the Amandla 8-week accelerator (hosted in South Africa in partnership with Remote Year for founders operating internationally); events such as the City of Entrepreneurs regional playbook (Northwest Arkansas and Kansas City), Cocktails & Conversations panels, Big Pitch virtual pitch competition, and Ideation Bootcamps; and an owned media layer of three podcasts (World's Greatest Game, Everybody Eats, Café Noire) targeting aspiring and current entrepreneurs.
The underlying operating model is program delivery rather than technology. There is no proprietary software platform, no APIs or SDKs, and no mobile app; technology surface is limited to a website, newsletter, and social channels. Beneficiary segments are verticalized by founder identity and geography: BIPOC Beauty Entrepreneurs (primary), Black Entrepreneurs operating internationally (primary), and Black and Minority Entrepreneurs broadly (primary). Distribution is hybrid — regional in-person for City of Entrepreneurs and some events, global/virtual for Big Pitch and Ideation Bootcamp, and global field-based for the Amandla cohort.
Revenue mechanics are nonprofit-style rather than commercial pricing: the organization is sustained by donations (Network for Good portal) and grants, with flagship institutional funders including the Walton Family Foundation (multi-year $1.3M grant in 2022), Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, and Kauffman Foundation; corporate program partners include Ulta Beauty and Remote Year (flagship), and BCG, Intuit, Anthos, and Arkansas Inc (supporting). The organization does not sell products or services and has no disclosed pricing model.
Venture Noire firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Venture Noire
- Legal name
- Venture Noire
- Website
- https://venturenoire.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Venture Noire is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs accelerator cohorts, regional entrepreneurship events, and podcasts to help Black and BIPOC founders launch, scale, and reach retail and international markets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Venture Noire industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Entrepreneurship Support Services
- akta.pro primary industry
- Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Venture Studios / Company Builders (FSANAAAH), Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs (EDAAAOAM), Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB), Corporate Venture Studios & Incubators (Build/launch ventures) (FSANAHAC)
Keywords
Where Venture Noire is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bentonville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Venture Noire business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Venture Noire product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Venture Noire is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs entrepreneurship support programs for Black and minority founders. Its core offerings include branded accelerator cohorts (Ulta MUSE Accelerator for BIPOC-founded beauty brands and the 8-week Amandla accelerator in South Africa), the City of Entrepreneurs project, community events (Cocktails & Conversations, Big Pitch, Ideation Bootcamp), and three original podcasts. Programs connect participating founders with corporate partners, mentors, and grant capital.
Product overview
Venture Noire is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of entrepreneurship support programs, not a unified software product. The organization provides three main program categories: (1) Accelerator Programs including the ULTA MUSE Accelerator supporting BIPOC-founded beauty brands and the Amandla 8-week accelerator hosted in South Africa; (2) Events including City of Entrepreneurs workshops in Kansas City and Northwest Arkansas, Cocktails & Conversations panels, Big Pitch competitions, and Ideation Bootcamps; and (3) Content including three podcasts (World's Greatest Game, Everybody Eats, Café Noire) featuring interviews with entrepreneurs and business leaders. The organization connects founders with corporate partners and expert resources to help eradicate the quality of life gap.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Ulta MUSE Accelerator
- Amandla Accelerator
- City of Entrepreneurs
- Cocktails & Conversations
- Big Pitch
- Ideation Bootcamp
- World's Greatest Game Podcast
- Everybody Eats Podcast
Companies that use Venture Noire
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Venture Noire technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Venture Noire partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and minor.
- Remote YearflagshipTravel platform that helps customers live, work and learn around the world partnered with Venture Noire to expand the accelerator program. The Amandla program is an 8-week accelerator hosted in South Africa as part of this partnership, equipping participating companies to do business internationally.
- Ulta BeautyflagshipUlta MUSE Accelerator developed as part of Ulta Beauty's commitment to amplifying and investing in underrepresented voices in beauty. The program curates a diverse assortment, nurtures emerging BIPOC-founded brands, and shapes the beauty industry.
- AnthosminorListed as a supporter/sponsor of Venture Noire's programs.
- Arkansas IncminorRegional economic development partner supporting Venture Noire's operations in Arkansas.
- Boston Consulting Group (BCG)minorListed as a supporter providing strategic expertise and resources to support Venture Noire's mission.
- IntuitminorListed as a supporter providing resources and expertise to support Venture Noire's entrepreneurial programs.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Venture Noire competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Techstars: Global accelerator operator running cohort programs across verticals and geographies. Overlaps with Venture Noire in accelerator mechanics and cohort-based founder support, but operates at much larger scale and broader founder base.
- Y Combinator: Largest and most established global accelerator, offering cohort-based programming and seed funding to early-stage founders. Functions as a broad incumbent that defines the accelerator category Venture Noire operates within.
- The Executive Leadership Council (ELC): Organization supporting Black executive leaders and high-potential entrepreneurs through programming, networking, and pipeline development. Comparable in advancing Black leadership and entrepreneurship, though focused more on corporate executives than early-stage founders.
Direct peers
- Runway: Inclusive startup ecosystem platform offering programs, content, and community to underrepresented founders. Directly comparable in mission and in providing programming plus media content for the BIPOC founder audience.
- NewMe Accelerator: Accelerator program focused on underrepresented founders, including BIPOC entrepreneurs, providing mentorship, capital, and community — directly comparable mission and program structure to Venture Noire's Ulta MUSE and Amandla accelerators.
- Visible Futures: BIPOC-focused founder accelerator offering cohort-based programming and mentorship. Closely aligned with Venture Noire's model of running structured cohort experiences for Black and minority entrepreneurs.
- Backstage Capital: Venture fund and accelerator backing underrepresented founders, including Black, Brown, and women entrepreneurs. Comparable mission to Venture Noire in building pathways for BIPOC founders into capital and growth-stage support.
- BLCK VC: Organization focused on increasing representation of Black investors and supporting Black founders within the venture ecosystem — operates in the same BIPOC-focused entrepreneurship support space as Venture Noire.
- Opportunity Hub: Entrepreneurship support organization delivering accelerator programs, founder education, and capital access for underrepresented founders — similar in providing integrated accelerator and community programming.
Regional players
- NMotion: Startup accelerator based in Northwest Arkansas that supports early-stage founders with programming and mentorship. Geographically co-located with Venture Noire in Bentonville, AR, making it a regional peer in the same founder-support ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Venture Noire social profiles
Digital presenceVenture Noire financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Venture Noire leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Venture Noire funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Venture Noire M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Venture Noire
What does Venture Noire do?
Venture Noire is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs entrepreneurship support programs for Black and minority founders. Its core offerings include branded accelerator cohorts (Ulta MUSE Accelerator for BIPOC-founded beauty brands and the 8-week Amandla accelerator in South Africa), the City of Entrepreneurs project, community events (Cocktails & Conversations, Big Pitch, Ideation Bootcamp), and three original podcasts. Programs connect participating founders with corporate partners, mentors, and grant capital.
Is Venture Noire a public or private company?
Venture Noire is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Venture Noire founded?
Venture Noire was founded in 2019. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Venture Noire based?
Venture Noire is headquartered in Bentonville, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Venture Noire's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Techstars, Y Combinator and The Executive Leadership Council (ELC). Direct peers are Runway, NewMe Accelerator, Visible Futures, Backstage Capital, BLCK VC and Opportunity Hub. NMotion is listed as a regional player.
Does Venture Noire have an API?
No public API is recorded for Venture Noire.
What industry is Venture Noire in?
Venture Noire's product category is Entrepreneurship Support Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAHAD, Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs, with a secondary code of FSANAAAH, Venture Studios / Company Builders.