Our Village United, Inc.

What Our Village United, Inc. does

Our Village United, Inc. (OVU) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2020 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, that operates a national small business growth ecosystem serving underrepresented entrepreneurs across more than 40 U.S. states. The organization delivers an integrated stack of capital deployment (non-dilutive seed grants for inventory, hiring, and equipment), technical assistance (12-week incubators including ELEVATED Cities and the state-specific ELEVATE Mississippi), specialized programs (Get Procured for procurement navigation, AMPLIFY: Main Street for brick-and-mortar operators, and the invitation-only Forward Village national accelerator for scaling founders), wellness support with licensed therapists, and ongoing community engagement through the Village Roots alumni network. Beyond programming, OVU provides tangible market access via Village Retail, a permanent retail destination at Ponce City Market in Atlanta with a planned 2026 expansion to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The organization does not sell to entrepreneur participants; instead, its revenue model rests on philanthropic donations, corporate and foundation program sponsorships that fully fund cohort cycles, capital partnerships contributing to the seed grant pool, and expansion partnership contributions that underwrite new city and regional launches. The technology stack is conventional: program applications run through the Submittable platform, with the website, email newsletter, and social channels (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram) serving as the primary marketing surfaces; AI and technology adoption support is embedded into programming rather than delivered through proprietary AI products. Leadership is concentrated under Founder and Executive Director Dr. Lakeysha Hallmon, supported by a National Director of Programs and program-level managers, with an 11-person staff.

Name

Our Village United, Inc.

Legal name

Our Village United, Inc.

Website

https://ourvillageunited.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Our Village United (OVU) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs a national small business growth ecosystem delivering non-dilutive capital, business training, wellness support, and physical retail market access to underrepresented entrepreneurs across 40-plus U.S. states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Donations: Individual and corporate donations supporting the nonprofit's operations and program delivery. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that invites community investment.
2. Program Sponsorships: Corporate and foundation partners fully sponsor cohorts of entrepreneurs through complete program cycles, funding business training, wellness support, seed grants, mentorship, and market access.
3. Capital Partnerships: Contributions to seed grant pool providing non-dilutive capital to entrepreneurs. Partners invest in putting capital directly into hands of entrepreneurs for inventory, hiring, equipment, and growth.
4. Expansion Partnership Contributions: Partners fund launch of OVU programs in new cities and regions, building economic infrastructure in underserved communities.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Our Village United operates a national small business growth ecosystem that delivers capital, technical assistance, wellness support, market access, and policy advocacy to underrepresented entrepreneurs. The organization runs cohort-based programs including ELEVATED Cities (12-week flagship incubator), ELEVATE Mississippi, Get Procured (procurement-focused), AMPLIFY: Main Street (brick-and-mortar support), and Forward Village (invitation-only national accelerator), complemented by Village Roots alumni community and Village Retail physical storefronts providing market access.

Product overview

Our Village United operates as a platform-plus-modules architecture offering multiple distinct programs for entrepreneurs at different stages. The core offerings include ELEVATED Cities (flagship 12-week incubator), ELEVATE Mississippi (state-specific incubator), Get Procured (6-month procurement program), AMPLIFY: Main Street (8-month brick-and-mortar support), and Forward Village (invitation-only national accelerator). These programs are complemented by Village Roots (alumni community), Village Retail (market access through physical retail locations), and access to wellness support with licensed therapists. All programs include access to the full OVU ecosystem, AI and technology integration support, and community connectivity. The integrated ecosystem combines capital deployment, technical assistance, entrepreneurial wellness, community building, market access, and policy advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Village Retail: Permanent retail destination featuring products from OVU entrepreneurs with locations at Ponce City Market in Atlanta and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport opening in 2026.

Products and services

• ELEVATED Cities OVU's flagship 12-week incubator for early-stage entrepreneurs providing training, coaching, mentoring, 1-on-1 mentorship, wellness support with licensed therapists, pitch competition for seed grants, and entry into a national founder community.
• ELEVATE Mississippi A 12-week incubator connecting Mississippi entrepreneurs with small business and community resources, providing learning sessions, business coaching, and training to improve business acumen in operations, marketing, sales, and funding options.
• Get Procured A specialized 6-month program helping entrepreneurs navigate local, state, federal, and corporate procurement processes by connecting them with procurement professionals, coaches, and supplier diversity offices to compete for and win contracts.
• AMPLIFY: Main Street An 8-month technical assistance program for small business owners with brick-and-mortar locations, providing hands-on support in operations, strategy, branding, and marketing through two dedicated service providers.
• Forward Village OVU's national accelerator for founders building companies that solve problems and scale, available by invitation only. Provides strategic capital, intensive technical assistance, AI and technology integration, wellness support, and access to OVU's national network.
• Village Roots OVU's alumni and ongoing community membership for entrepreneurs who have completed any OVU program, providing continued ecosystem access including peer connections, wellness support, business resources, and retail placement through Village Retail.
• Village Retail A permanent retail destination featuring products from OVU entrepreneurs, providing retail placement opportunities. Locations include Ponce City Market in Atlanta and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (opening 2026).

Quantifiable outcome

• 600% revenue increase for Louisiana Creole Candy with Super Bowl LIX and institutional contracts
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ourvillageunited
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/our-village-united-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/ourvillageunited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 Our Village United, Inc.