Corner to Corner
Corner to Corner is a Nashville-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating The Academy, a subsidized 10-week entrepreneurial training program for historically underestimated entrepreneurs (88% Black women), plus Script to Screen youth literacy programming across Middle Tennessee.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersNashville, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Corner to Corner does
Corner to Corner is a Nashville-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011 by Will and Tiffany Acuff, operating programs that target historically underestimated entrepreneurs in Middle Tennessee. Its flagship offering, The Academy, is a 10-week in-person entrepreneurial training program (with virtual delivery added in 2020) covering practical business curriculum, in-person instruction, expert guest speakers, and a Compassionate Pitch Contest; the program is valued at $7,200+ per participant but delivered at a $160 enrollment fee, implying roughly 90% subsidy through private funding. A secondary program, Script to Screen, provides after-school film-literacy instruction at middle schools serving students below reading level. Post-graduation, Academy alumni enter the Academy Alumni Program and gain access to The Academy Invested 0% interest loan product ($250–$1,000).
The organization runs on standard nonprofit technology infrastructure (WordPress, Squarespace analytics, Stripe, PayPal) with no proprietary platform. The Academy is delivered at neighborhood sites within walking distance of government housing projects across Nashville, Antioch, Murfreesboro, and Clarksville. Since Fall 2016, more than 1,900 entrepreneurs have graduated, with 88% identifying as Black women; in 2025 alone, SBA-tracked economic activity by Academy entrepreneurs exceeded $46.6 million (a beneficiary outcome metric, not organizational revenue).
Revenue is generated through a mix of individual donations (CornerStone at $3,200/year and Corner Store at $42/month tiers), corporate and foundation grants (Goldman Sachs, Belmont University, Vanderbilt, Nashville Predators Foundation, Nashville SC Community Fund, Holloway Family Foundation, Pinnacle Financial Partners, Regions, First Citizens, Bass Berry & Sims, Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, and others), and nominal program fees. Strategic partnerships with Goldman Sachs (Black Women in Business), Vanderbilt (Impact Investment Fund and Owen Graduate School of Management), Belmont University (Social Innovation Lab), NewsChannel 5+ (The Corner to Corner Show), and Notre Dame's Wilson Sheehan LEO lab provide both capital and rigorous research validation. Charity Navigator awards a Four-Star rating.
Corner to Corner firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Corner to Corner
- Legal name
- Corner to Corner
- Website
- https://cornertocorner.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Corner to Corner is a Nashville-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating The Academy, a subsidized 10-week entrepreneurial training program for historically underestimated entrepreneurs (88% Black women), plus Script to Screen youth literacy programming across Middle Tennessee.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Corner to Corner industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Entrepreneurship Training & Community Development
- NAICS
- Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Small Business & Entrepreneurship Community Education (EDAAAFAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Community & Adult Education (Municipal/Community Schools) (EDAAAEAB), Financial Literacy, Budgeting & Personal Finance (EDAMAHAE), Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)
Keywords
Where Corner to Corner is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nashville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Corner to Corner business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Corner to Corner accepts one-time and recurring donations from individuals. Donation tiers include CornerStone ($3,200/year) and Corner Store ($42/month), plus general donations.
- Corporate & Foundation Grants: The organization receives grants from foundations (e.g., Goldman Sachs, Holloway Family Foundation, Covenant Presbyterian Church, Nashville Predators Foundation Helper Grants, Nashville SC Community Fund) and corporate donors.
- Academy Program Fees: The Academy charges a $160 enrollment fee per participant (down from $25 seat deposit + $135 balance). The program is valued at $7,200+ but subsidized 90%+ through private funding.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | The Academy 10-week program — $160 total enrollment fee |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
Corner to Corner product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Corner to Corner delivers community-led entrepreneurial training, post-graduation support, and youth literacy programming to historically underestimated Nashvillians. The Academy is a 10-week in-person and virtual program covering business planning, customer acquisition, accounting, legal structure, and pitching, valued at $7,200+ but offered to participants for $160. Graduates gain access to the Academy Alumni Program, ongoing mentorship, and the Academy Invested 0% interest loan program ($250–$1,000). The organization also runs Script to Screen, an after-school filmmaking-based literacy program for middle-school students in Nashville.
Product overview
Corner to Corner is a community-led nonprofit offering two primary programs: The Academy, a 10-week entrepreneurial training program valued at $7,200+ offered to participants for $160, and Script to Screen, a creative literacy program for children. The Academy includes practical business curriculum, in-person instruction, expert guest speakers, and culminates in a Compassionate Pitch Contest. Post-graduation, graduates gain access to The Academy Alumni Program which provides continued education, mentorship, and The Academy Invested loan program (0% interest loans ranging from $250-$1,000). The organization also produces The Corner to Corner Show, a television mini-series featuring local entrepreneurs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The Academy A 10-week entrepreneurial training program equipping historically underestimated community members with skills to plan, start, and grow small businesses. Includes practical business curriculum covering customer acquisition, accounting, legal structure, pitching, e-commerce, and digital marketing; in-person instruction at neighborhood locations within walking distance of public housing; expert guest speakers; and culminates in the Compassionate Pitch Contest. Valued at $7,200+ per participant, offered for $160 (~90% subsidized).
- Script to Screen An after-school creative literacy program that helps children fall in love with reading by making their own movies. Students learn script analysis, script writing, and hands-on film production at Nashville area schools. Vanderbilt University pilot data showed 55% of participants grew at least a full reading-grade level.
Quantifiable outcome
- $46.6M in economic impact generated by Academy entrepreneurs in 2025 (SBA data)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Corner to Corner
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Corner to Corner technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Corner to Corner partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
24 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- NewsChannel 5+coreCorner to Corner partnered with NewsChannel 5+ to produce The Corner to Corner Show, a mini-series spotlighting local businesses in Nashville. Six episodes were released monthly from April through September 2024, featuring Academy graduate businesses.
- Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of ManagementcoreVanderbilt Owen School students are engaged in experiential learning through the Vanderbilt Impact Investment Fund, working directly with Corner to Corner entrepreneurs. Pilot data from Vanderbilt University also showed that 55% of Script to Screen students grew at least a full reading-grade level.
- Belmont UniversitycoreCorner to Corner was named a Champions of Hope recipient by Belmont University's Hope Summit in 2023. Additionally, Corner to Corner was honored as one of Belmont University's first Social Innovation Lab Partners. The goal of the lab is to activate agents of hope to pursue human flourishing and community thriving for all, with Belmont bringing creative students, professors, and research scientists to support Corner to Corner's work.
- Regions BanksupportingPartnered with Corner to Corner for the Business Bank Field Trip, providing firsthand insights into business banking. Academy Alumni connected with bank members to find their perfect fit, with many opening their first business bank account.
- First Citizens BanksupportingPartnered with Corner to Corner for the Business Bank Field Trip, offering unique advice to Academy Alumni on business banking needs.
- Studio BanksupportingPartnered with Corner to Corner for the Business Bank Field Trip. Also a financial supporter with a logo listed among partners on the About page.
- Pinnacle Financial PartnerssupportingPartnered with Corner to Corner for the Business Bank Field Trip and also sponsored Academy alumna Kayla Hall-Ransom of The City Juicery for the Black on Buchanan event.
- Citizens Savings Bank & TrustsupportingPartnered with Corner to Corner for the Business Bank Field Trip, helping Academy Alumni find their perfect banking fit.
- Bass, Berry & SimscoreThrough their partnership, 8 Academy alumni received pro bono legal work in 2022. The firm also contributes to the Legal Library programming, providing accessible information on legal topics such as LLC formation and trademark understanding.
- Nashville Black MarketcoreCorner to Corner partnered with The Nashville Black Market and The Equity Alliance for the Black on Buchanan event. The Nashville Black Market is a key partner in the 10,000 Black-owned businesses initiative. Academy alumna Kayla Hall-Ransom of The City Juicery was sponsored to participate in this event.
- Goldman SachscoreCorner to Corner entered a partnership with Goldman Sachs and their Black Women in Business initiative. Multiple Academy alumnae, including Tara Holt (Operations Director), were accepted into the Fall 2022 cohort. The program connects Black women entrepreneurs with resources, networks, and education to scale their businesses.
- Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities (LEO) at Notre DamecoreWorking with the LEO team has offered fresh insight and inspiration, especially around The Academy entrepreneurial program. Research being conducted for the program will help Corner to Corner offer The Academy to more neighbors with plans to continue growing. LEO conducts rigorous randomized controlled trials to generate evidence on what works to improve the lives of those facing poverty.
- Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small BusinessessupportingA related Goldman Sachs initiative. Corner to Corner's goals align with the broader goal of supporting Black entrepreneurship and economic equity.
- CoStarterssupportingListed as a partner on the About page. CoStarters is a program for helping entrepreneurs turn ideas into businesses.
- Launch TennesseesupportingListed as a partner on the About page. Launch Tennessee supports entrepreneurs and startup ecosystems across Tennessee.
- Nashville Entrepreneur CentersupportingListed as a partner on the About page. The Nashville Entrepreneur Center is a key player in Nashville's entrepreneurship ecosystem.
- Nashville Business Incubation CentersupportingListed as a partner on the About page. NBIC supports the growth of minority and women-owned businesses in Nashville.
- Lipscomb UniversitysupportingStudents from Lipscomb University volunteered to help build Academy care packages. Listed as a partner on the About page.
- Dell TechnologiessupportingListed as a partner on the About page. Dell provides technology support to Corner to Corner.
- Crosspoint ChurchsupportingMembers of Crosspoint Church volunteered to help put together Academy care packages. Listed as a partner on the About page.
- Church of the CitysupportingCorner to Corner created a mini Vendor Village for Church of the City neighbors to connect with Academy Alumni businesses. Listed as a partner on the About page.
- The YMCAsupportingListed as a partner on the About page.
- Martha O'Bryan CentersupportingListed as a partner on the About page. Martha O'Bryan Center is a community development organization serving Nashville's most vulnerable populations.
- Pen & MugsupportingListed as a partner on the About page. Pen & Mug is a creative studio that created the Corner to Corner website.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Corner to Corner competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SCORE: SCORE is a national nonprofit that provides free small-business mentoring, workshops, and education to entrepreneurs — directly comparable to Corner to Corner's Academy model of structured business training and mentorship, though delivered at much larger national scale and primarily online.
- Kiva: Kiva is a nonprofit crowdfunding microlending platform that provides 0% interest loans to underserved entrepreneurs globally — directly comparable to Corner to Corner's Academy Invested 0% interest loan program and its focus on entrepreneurs excluded from mainstream capital.
- Accion Opportunity Fund: Accion Opportunity Fund is a nonprofit community development financial institution offering small-business loans, coaching, and education to underrepresented entrepreneurs in the U.S. — closely comparable to Corner to Corner's integrated model of training, mentorship, and small-dollar lending for underestimated founders.
- Pathway Lending: Pathway Lending is a Tennessee-based community development financial institution providing capital and business support to underserved entrepreneurs in the same Nashville region as Corner to Corner, serving as both an explicit partner and a directly comparable peer in small-business education and lending.
- Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses: Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses is a national tuition-free entrepreneurship program for underserved business owners that Corner to Corner has partnered with. It targets similar demographics (e.g., Black women entrepreneurs) and offers comparable practical business education, mentorship, and a network.
- Grameen America: Grameen America is a nonprofit microlender that combines financial literacy, entrepreneurship training, and small-dollar loans for women entrepreneurs in poverty — directly comparable to Corner to Corner's combination of Academy training and the Academy Invested 0% interest loan program for underserved entrepreneurs.
- Hope Enterprise Corporation: Hope Enterprise Corporation is a community development financial institution providing loans, financial education, and small-business support across the Deep South — a peer in mission and structure to Corner to Corner's combination of entrepreneurship training and 0% interest lending for underestimated founders.
Emerging players
- Village Capital: Village Capital is a nonprofit that supports early-stage entrepreneurs building businesses in underserved markets through peer-driven cohorts and non-dilutive capital — comparable to Corner to Corner's peer-led cohort model and small-dollar alumni loan program targeting underestimated founders.
Regional players
- Nashville Entrepreneur Center: The Nashville Entrepreneur Center is a listed Corner to Corner partner and a regional peer that supports entrepreneurs and startup ecosystems across Middle Tennessee, offering overlapping programs in business education and mentorship within the same Nashville market.
Broad incumbents
- SBA Women's Business Centers: SBA Women's Business Centers are a federal network of business training and counseling centers for women entrepreneurs, representing the broader-incumbent version of Corner to Corner's Academy — overlapping audience (women entrepreneurs), curriculum (practical business skills), and delivery (training + mentorship), but at a national-government scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Customer concentration
Corner to Corner social profiles
Digital presenceCorner to Corner financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Corner to Corner leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Corner to Corner funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Corner to Corner 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 Corner to Corner
What does Corner to Corner do?
Corner to Corner delivers community-led entrepreneurial training, post-graduation support, and youth literacy programming to historically underestimated Nashvillians. The Academy is a 10-week in-person and virtual program covering business planning, customer acquisition, accounting, legal structure, and pitching, valued at $7,200+ but offered to participants for $160. Graduates gain access to the Academy Alumni Program, ongoing mentorship, and the Academy Invested 0% interest loan program ($250–$1,000). The organization also runs Script to Screen, an after-school filmmaking-based literacy program for middle-school students in Nashville.
Is Corner to Corner a public or private company?
Corner to Corner is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Corner to Corner founded?
Corner to Corner was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Corner to Corner based?
Corner to Corner is headquartered in Nashville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Corner to Corner make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate & Foundation Grants and academy Program Fees.
Who are Corner to Corner's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SCORE, Kiva, Accion Opportunity Fund, Pathway Lending, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, Grameen America and Hope Enterprise Corporation. Village Capital is listed as an emerging player. Nashville Entrepreneur Center is listed as a regional player. SBA Women's Business Centers is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Corner to Corner have an API?
No public API is recorded for Corner to Corner.
What industry is Corner to Corner in?
Corner to Corner's product category is Nonprofit Entrepreneurship Training & Community Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAAFAK, Small Business & Entrepreneurship Community Education, with a secondary code of EDAAAEAB, Community & Adult Education (Municipal/Community Schools). Its NAICS code is 611 and its SIC code is 8200.