NXT | CLT

What NXT | CLT does

NXT | CLT is a Charlotte, NC-based nonprofit business accelerator and an initiative of parent entity Junction Business Services. Founded in 2021, it runs a twice-yearly, 6-month cohort program for established small-business owners in the Charlotte metro area, selecting applicants that meet minimum thresholds of $250,000+ in annual revenue, three or more years operating history, and at least one non-owner employee. The cohort is the program's core deliverable; it is supplemented by three supporting service lines — Immersive Learning (executive workshops), Mentorship (advisor pairing), and Access to Capital (intro sessions with angel investors via partners such as CLT Impact Group, plus grant opportunities) — and by a content/media offering, the "Creating Your NeXT" podcast. Outreach and selection are community-led, driven by a Google Forms application, web/social presence, community referrals, and earned media. To date, 73 "transformational leaders" have passed through 10 cohorts, and the organization has channeled more than $700,000 in grants to its cohort companies.

The organization's business model is contribution-based rather than fee-based: program participation is offered at no direct cost to selected participants, and operating funding flows from grants, foundation support, and individual charitable donations. Notable inflows include a $100,000 NC IDEA ECOSYSTEM Grant in December 2022 and a $125,000 impact gift from the 2022 President's Cup (PGA Tour) in October 2022. The program is delivered in person from the UNCC PORTAL Building in Charlotte. Leadership transitioned in July 2025 when Executive Director Kimberly E. Zouzoua succeeded Eric Lewis, bringing senior nonprofit and fundraising experience. NXT | CLT does not operate proprietary software, does not monetize participation, and has no published revenue figures; financial scale is implied to be sub-$1M annually based on disclosed inflows.

NXT | CLT's competitive position is anchored in a localized mission (BIPOC and historically underrepresented entrepreneurs in Charlotte metro), an integrated curriculum built across 10 cohorts, and a network of enterprise and capital partners (NC IDEA Foundation, PGA Tour/President's Cup, CLT Impact Group, Vistage Worldwide, UNC Charlotte PORTAL). Risks include grant concentration and dependency on episodic institutional funding, single-metro geographic exposure, leadership-transition execution risk following the 2025 ED change, and the absence of diversified, recurring revenue.

Name

NXT | CLT

Legal name

NXT | CLT

Website

https://nxtclt.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NXT | CLT is a Charlotte, NC-based nonprofit accelerator running 6-month cohorts that provide BIPOC-owned small businesses with mentorship, leadership development, and access to capital. Founded in 2021, it has graduated 10 cohorts comprising 73 leaders and channels grants and donations to program participants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding & Donations: NXT | CLT is a nonprofit organization that operates primarily through grant funding and charitable donations. The organization receives funding from foundations (NC IDEA Foundation) and individual donors to support its accelerator programming, mentorship activities, and access to capital initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NXT | CLT operates a 6-month cohort-based business accelerator program for emerging BIPOC-owned businesses in the Charlotte metro area. The program provides mentorship, leadership development workshops, access to capital resources, and networking opportunities with enterprise partners and investors. Participation is not monetized; the program is funded through grants and donations.

Product overview

NXT | CLT is a nonprofit business accelerator serving as a catalyst for entrepreneurial success in Charlotte, NC. The organization offers a portfolio of interconnected programs including a 6-month Accelerator Program as the core offering, supplemented by Mentorship, Access to Capital, and Immersive Learning programs. Additionally, the organization produces the 'Creating Your NeXT' podcast as a content/media channel. Together these offerings provide emerging businesses with tools, mentorship, capital access, and community support needed to grow sustainably.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Creating Your NeXT - The Entrepreneurial Legacy Builders Podcast: Podcast hosted by NXT | CLT Executive Director featuring conversations with community leaders and entrepreneurs on topics including business, diversity, equity, inclusion, and the hiring climate.

Products and services

• NXT | CLT Accelerator Program A 6-month business development cohort program providing mentorship, leadership education, access to capital, and networking for emerging businesses in the Charlotte metro area. Designed for founders with $250K+ annual revenue, 3+ years in business, and at least one employee besides the owner.
• Mentorship Program A collaborative relationship between experienced business leaders and emerging entrepreneurs featuring experienced guidance, goal-oriented development, and personal and professional growth support. Connects cohort businesses with large enterprise organizations and advisors.
• Access to Capital Program Comprehensive capital support including social and financial capital resources, connections to investors and mentors, executive learning sessions with angel investors (such as CLT Impact Group), and grant application opportunities for cohort businesses.
• Immersive Learning An interactive educational approach that engages learners through real-world scenarios, providing opportunities to learn, grow, and transform in a business-nurturing environment. Ensures business owners receive the latest management strategies and approaches.
• Creating Your NeXT Podcast A podcast featuring conversations with Charlotte business leaders, entrepreneurs, and NXT | CLT cohort members discussing business, diversity, equity, inclusion, and the hiring climate. Distributed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon, Google, Radio Public, and RedCircle.

Quantifiable outcome

• $700k+ in total grants awarded to cohort companies
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Junction Business ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJunction Business Services is the parent organization of NXT | CLT. The initiative is dedicated to expanding opportunity and improving outcomes for entrepreneurs from historically underrepresented communities.
• Vistage WorldwideminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVistage Worldwide provides leadership frameworks used in NXT | CLT's Executive Leadership Mastermind Sessions, including collaborative leadership training facilitated by Charlotte Vistage Chair Marise Kumar.
• Center for Women and EnterpriseminorOthersKimberly E. Zuozoua, NXT | CLT's new Executive Director, previously served as Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at the Center for Women and Enterprise where she created the Women of Color Business Summit.
• UNC Charlotte PORTAL BuildingminorOthersNXT | CLT's headquarters and program delivery location at the UNC Charlotte PORTAL Building.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Village Capital: Village Capital is a nonprofit that runs cohort-based accelerator programs for impact-driven entrepreneurs across multiple geographies. It is directly comparable to NXT | CLT as a mission-driven accelerator delivering structured multi-month programming with peer-selected investment outcomes.
• gener8tor: gener8tor operates a portfolio of cohort-based accelerators (including BIPOC-focused programs) with multi-month programming and investor introductions. Its accelerator structure mirrors NXT | CLT's 6-month cohort format, though gener8tor is a for-profit.
• DigitalUndivided: DigitalUndivided is a nonprofit that runs accelerator and incubator programs for Black and Latina founders, providing mentorship, capital connections, and community. It is directly comparable to NXT | CLT in serving underrepresented founders through structured accelerator programming.
• Camelback Ventures: Camelback Ventures is a BIPOC-led social impact accelerator supporting entrepreneurs of color through cohort-based programming, mentorship, and capital access. It is directly comparable in target demographic, accelerator structure, and funding model to NXT | CLT.

Broad incumbents

• Center for Women and Enterprise: The Center for Women and Enterprise is a nonprofit that runs training, mentorship, and capital-access programs for women entrepreneurs. It is a broader incumbent serving a related but distinct demographic and is explicitly referenced as a prior affiliation of NXT | CLT's incoming Executive Director.

Emerging players

• BLCK Ventures: BLCK Ventures is a venture firm focused exclusively on investing in Black founders. It is comparable to NXT | CLT in its BIPOC focus but serves an overlapping need (capital access) through a different vehicle (fund investments versus accelerator).
• Ureeka: Ureeka is a community and resource platform for underrepresented small business owners, offering mentorship, capital connections, and peer networks. It overlaps with NXT | CLT in addressing access gaps for underrepresented entrepreneurs but delivers through a digital community rather than in-person cohorts.
• Backstage Capital: Backstage Capital is a VC fund dedicated to investing in underrepresented founders including BIPOC entrepreneurs. It overlaps with NXT | CLT in serving BIPOC founders seeking capital, but as an investment vehicle rather than an accelerator.
• Reboot Representation: Reboot Representation is a nonprofit coalition focused on increasing representation of underrepresented people in tech, funding and supporting accelerators. It overlaps with NXT | CLT's mission to support underrepresented entrepreneurs but operates more as a funder-of-accelerators.

Regional players

• Russell Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship: The Russell Center is a BIPOC-focused innovation hub and small business support organization based in Atlanta. It is comparable to NXT | CLT in mission and programming but operates in a different metro and does not directly compete for the same founders.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nxtclt
• YouTubeopen.spotify.com/show/3ooxzAvwRK4TKbJ5itP9wT
• Facebookfacebook.com/nxtclt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nxt-clt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NXT | CLT