Be Nimble
Be Nimble Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Indianapolis operating accelerators, upskilling, mentorship programs, and a venture capital fund for Black and Latinx founders and job seekers in Central Indiana, funded by charitable donations and portfolio returns.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersIndianapolis, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Be Nimble does
Be Nimble Foundation is a 501(c)(3) social enterprise headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, that operates a platform of workforce development and entrepreneurship programs for Black and Latinx individuals in Central Indiana. Its core offerings include an Accelerator, an Upskilling Program, an Entrepreneur Program, a BESO Program, pitch competitions, a mentorship program, and a Venture Capital Fund that provides capital to underrepresented founders. All programs are delivered free of charge to participants, and the foundation cites the goal of closing the racial wealth gap, referencing a McKinsey 2024 projection that Indianapolis would take 240+ years to close the gap at current pace.
The foundation operates an event-driven go-to-market model, leveraging community gatherings such as Garden Pardi IV, Black Future Haus, Hardwood Classic, and Flavor Slam to recruit founders and job seekers into its pipeline. Its portfolio of six venture-backed companies spans EdTech (After School HQ), HR Tech (Qualifi), Fintech (Fleri), Emotional Well-being (Exhale), Skincare (Romona), and Wine (Sip&Share Wines). The organization is led by Co-CEOs Kelli Jones and Jeff Williams and is supported by a network of mentors, volunteers, and referral partners.
Its revenue model relies on charitable donations (accepted via Givelify) and, over time, returns from portfolio companies in its VC Fund. No traditional software product, API, or proprietary technology platform is disclosed; core technology is listed as "Not disclosed," and Be Nimble does not maintain a mobile app. Partnerships are limited to operational vendors (Givelify for donations, PB & JANE for website development). No revenue figure, funding rounds, or financial statements are publicly disclosed.
Be Nimble firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Be Nimble
- Legal name
- Be Nimble Foundation
- Website
- https://benimbleco.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Be Nimble Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Indianapolis operating accelerators, upskilling, mentorship programs, and a venture capital fund for Black and Latinx founders and job seekers in Central Indiana, funded by charitable donations and portfolio returns.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Be Nimble industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Workforce Development and Entrepreneurship Support Services
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)
Keywords
Where Be Nimble is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Indianapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Be Nimble business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Be Nimble Foundation relies on charitable donations from individuals and organizations. The foundation accepts donations through platforms like Givelify and encourages community support for their mission to close the racial wealth gap through technology and entrepreneurship.
- Venture Capital Fund Returns: The organization operates a venture capital fund that provides capital to Black and Latinx founders. Returns from successful portfolio companies contribute to the organization's sustainability and ability to fund future entrepreneurs.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Be Nimble product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Be Nimble Foundation is a 501(c)(3) social enterprise that runs entrepreneurship accelerators, an upskilling program, an entrepreneur program, the BESO program, pitch competitions, and mentorship for Black and Latinx founders and job seekers in Central Indiana. It also operates a venture capital fund that provides capital directly to underrepresented founders, with portfolio returns reinvested into the mission. All programs and services are offered at no cost to participants and are funded through charitable donations and venture investment returns.
Product overview
Be Nimble Foundation is a 501(c)(3) social enterprise that operates as a platform of workforce development and entrepreneurship support programs rather than a traditional software product company. The organization offers a suite of interconnected programs including Accelerators, Upskilling Program, Entrepreneur Program, and BESO Program, along with a Venture Capital Fund that provides capital to Black and Latinx founders. The programs also include Pitch Competitions, Mentorship, and Volunteer opportunities. These offerings work together to provide equitable access to funding and resources that drive generational wealth for communities of color, with the organization taking a qualitative and quantitative approach to creating fully diverse and inclusive tech ecosystems.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Accelerators Entrepreneurship accelerator programs that help Black and Latinx founders launch and scale their start-ups, combining hands-on programming, mentorship, and access to the foundation's network and venture capital fund.
- Upskilling Program Workforce development program that upskills unemployed, underemployed, and career transitioners to help them secure high-paying jobs in the technology sector.
- Entrepreneur Program Program that helps Black and Latinx entrepreneurs launch, scale, and fundraise for their start-ups through structured workshops and pitch competitions.
- BESO Program Program for Black and Latinx entrepreneurs offered as part of Be Nimble Foundation's core program suite; specific details and program structure are not disclosed in the available source material.
- Venture Capital Fund Venture capital fund that provides capital to Black and Latinx founders to fuel company expansion, scaling operations, entering new markets, or developing new products, with returns reinvested in the foundation's mission.
- Pitch Competitions Competitive pitch events that allow Black and Latinx entrepreneurs to present their start-ups and secure funding opportunities through Be Nimble's programs and venture capital fund.
Quantifiable outcome
- $100k awarded to female founders
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Be Nimble
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Be Nimble technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Be Nimble partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- GivelifyminorGivelify is used as the donation platform for accepting charitable contributions to support Be Nimble Foundation's mission of closing the racial wealth gap in the Black and Latinx community.
- PB & JANEminorPB & JANE is credited with handcrafting the Be Nimble Foundation website, providing digital services and web development support for the organization.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Be Nimble competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Village Capital: Village Capital is a global impact-focused accelerator and venture fund that supports underrepresented founders and impact-driven startups. It is a direct peer because it combines accelerator programming with investment, often targeting founders excluded from traditional VC.
- gener8tor: gener8tor is a Midwest-based accelerator and venture fund running accelerator cohorts and a follow-on fund. It is a direct peer because it operates accelerator programming and seed capital in overlapping geographies with Be Nimble, though with a broader (not BIPOC-exclusive) founder mandate.
- Backstage Capital: Backstage Capital is a venture fund specifically targeting underrepresented founders (women, people of color, LGBTQ+). It is a direct peer because it combines accelerator-style programming with seed capital for the same demographic Be Nimble serves, competing for BIPOC deal flow nationwide.
- Camelback Ventures: Camelback Ventures is a BIPOC-focused nonprofit accelerator and early-stage fund headquartered in New Orleans. It is one of the closest direct peers to Be Nimble, offering similar accelerator programming, mentorship, and pre-seed/seed capital to Black, Latinx, and other underrepresented founders—competing for the same mission-aligned donor and founder pipeline.
- SoGal Ventures: SoGal Ventures is a venture fund backing diverse and female founders globally, often combining capital with founder community programming. It is a direct peer in the BIPOC/female founder capital + community nexus that Be Nimble occupies.
Broad incumbents
- MassChallenge: MassChallenge is a global nonprofit accelerator supporting early-stage startups with programming and connections to capital. It is a broad incumbent peer because of its nonprofit status and accelerator + founder-support model, overlapping with Be Nimble's accelerator + upskilling stack.
- Techstars: Techstars is the largest global accelerator network with dozens of vertical-specific programs and an affiliated venture fund. It is a broad incumbent peer—offering accelerator + capital as part of a much wider portfolio—and competes for the same founder pool that Be Nimble targets.
- Y Combinator: Y Combinator is the world's most prominent accelerator, offering seed capital and programming to early-stage founders. It is a broad incumbent peer with overlapping accelerator + investment mechanics, though it does not specialize in BIPOC founders.
- 500 Global: 500 Global (formerly 500 Startups) is a global accelerator and venture fund operating programs across multiple geographies. It is a broad incumbent peer because it runs accelerator cohorts and seed funds with overlapping mechanics, though not a BIPOC-specific mandate.
Others
- NewSchools Venture Fund: NewSchools Venture Fund is a nonprofit that funds and supports education entrepreneurs and innovators. It is an adjacent peer—sharing the nonprofit-venture-fund hybrid model and a focus on workforce/economic mobility outcomes that Be Nimble's upskilling program also targets.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks3 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Be Nimble social profiles
Digital presenceBe Nimble financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Be Nimble leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Be Nimble funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Be Nimble M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments2 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Be Nimble
What does Be Nimble do?
Be Nimble Foundation is a 501(c)(3) social enterprise that runs entrepreneurship accelerators, an upskilling program, an entrepreneur program, the BESO program, pitch competitions, and mentorship for Black and Latinx founders and job seekers in Central Indiana. It also operates a venture capital fund that provides capital directly to underrepresented founders, with portfolio returns reinvested into the mission. All programs and services are offered at no cost to participants and are funded through charitable donations and venture investment returns.
Is Be Nimble a public or private company?
Be Nimble is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Be Nimble founded?
Be Nimble was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Be Nimble based?
Be Nimble is headquartered in Indianapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Be Nimble make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are venture Capital Fund Returns.
Who are Be Nimble's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Village Capital, gener8tor, Backstage Capital, Camelback Ventures and SoGal Ventures. Broad incumbents are MassChallenge, Techstars, Y Combinator and 500 Global. NewSchools Venture Fund is listed as an others.
Does Be Nimble have an API?
No public API is recorded for Be Nimble.
What industry is Be Nimble in?
Be Nimble's product category is Workforce Development and Entrepreneurship Support Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAM, Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated), with a secondary code of BPAGAKAC, Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking. Its NAICS code is 813211.