ACCELERATE UP

What ACCELERATE UP does

Accelerate UP is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization founded in 2013 and headquartered in Marquette, Michigan. It provides free, confidential, one-on-one business coaching and consulting services to entrepreneurs and small business owners in Marquette County, supporting clients who want to start, expand, or acquire a business. Service delivery is human-centric: a small core staff (Executive Director Alexander Kofsky, Small Business Resource Navigator Liam Goetz, and Strategic Operations & Marketing Coordinator Sarah Gimpl) plus a seven-member volunteer Board of Trustees and a broader Resource Team of civic leaders and community professionals provide personalized advisory sessions covering business planning, financial projections, legal resources, marketing, hiring, and grant/lender introductions. The organization has served over 600 entrepreneurs cumulatively, facilitating 95 new businesses/expansions/acquisitions, 220 new or retained jobs, and $11.1 million in client capital investment.

The underlying technology stack is minimal: a Wix-hosted marketing website and a Google Calendar-based online appointment booking system are the only digital platforms in use. There is no proprietary software, no mobile application, no public API, and no AI/ML capabilities. The value proposition rests entirely on community trust, local network access, and personalized human advisory — not on software or data assets.

The business model is nonprofit grant- and donation-funded, not fee-based. Services are free to all clients. Original funding came from Eagle Mine, a nickel and copper mine in Marquette County, in response to concerns about post-closure economic impact; Eagle Mine extended its funding agreement through 2029 in 2016. In 2023, Accelerate UP partnered with the Lake Superior Community Partnership to secure a $3,426,015 grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, establishing the Central Upper Peninsula Small Business Support Hub covering seven counties. Go-to-market is community-led: word-of-mouth, personal introductions by the Resource Team (over 900 made), Cash Mob community events, and an online booking system for consultation scheduling. Primary customer segments are budding entrepreneurs and established small business owners in Marquette County, with the 2023 hub expansion extending the addressable market to a seven-county Central Upper Peninsula region.

Name

ACCELERATE UP

Legal name

Accelerate UP

Website

https://accelerateup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Accelerate UP is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit founded in 2013 in Marquette, Michigan that provides free, confidential, one-on-one business coaching to entrepreneurs and small business owners in Marquette County and the broader seven-county Central Upper Peninsula region, funded by grants and corporate donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Small Business Coaching & Consulting

NAICS

Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Leadership, Management & Teamwork for Business (EDAMAHAI), Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB)

Keywords

• Small business coaching
• Entrepreneur consulting
• Nonprofit business support
• Community economic development
• Startup advisory services

Headquarters

HQ city

Marquette

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. Grant Funding & Donations: As a 501(c)(6) nonprofit corporation, Accelerate UP operates primarily on grant funding and donations rather than client fees. Services are free and confidential to entrepreneurs. Funding has been provided by Eagle Mine (extended through 2029) and the Lundin Foundation. In 2023, a $3,426,015 grant was secured from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation in partnership with the Lake Superior Community Partnership, establishing the Central Upper Peninsula Small Business Support Hub covering seven counties.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Accelerate UP provides free, confidential, one-on-one business coaching and consulting services to entrepreneurs and small business owners in Marquette County, Michigan. Services include business planning, financial projections, marketing, hiring, legal resources, and quarterly goal assessments, and are delivered through a Business Navigator and Strategic Operations & Marketing Coordinator.

Product overview

Accelerate UP is a nonprofit organization offering free, confidential business coaching and consulting services to entrepreneurs and small business owners in Marquette County, Michigan. The core offering consists of personalized one-on-one business coaching services, which include a Business Navigator program for resource navigation and growth strategy support. The organization also provides Strategic Operations and Marketing Support coordination, funded through a Michigan Economic Development Corporation grant. The portfolio includes a Small Business Support Hub covering seven Central Upper Peninsula counties and community programs like Cash Mob Events that encourage local shopping. All services are provided free of charge to clients at various stages of their entrepreneurial journey.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Coaching Services Free, confidential, one-on-one business coaching offered to entrepreneurs and business owners who want to start, expand, or diversify a business in Marquette County. Sessions are tailored to client needs and cover business planning, growth strategy, financial projections, marketing, hiring, and legal resources.
• Business Navigator Services Personalized coaching delivered through the Central U.P. Small Business Support Hub, providing resource navigation, growth strategies, and operational support to entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout Marquette County.
• Strategic Operations and Marketing Support Coordination services focused on enhancing operational efficiency, outreach, and impact for small business clients, funded through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation grant.
• Central Upper Peninsula Small Business Support Hub (SBSH) A seven-county support hub that expands Accelerate UP's small business support services and addresses capacity limitations for entrepreneurs across the Central Upper Peninsula region of Michigan.
• Cash Mob Events Community event program designed to encourage local shopping and show small businesses community support, fostering engagement and regional business strength.

Quantifiable outcome

• 660+ total clients served since inception; 95 new businesses/expansions/acquisitions facilitated; 220 new/retained jobs created; $11.1 M total capital investment facilitated; 5,211 client contacts logged

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lake Superior Community Partnership (LSCP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023In 2023, Accelerate UP partnered with the Lake Superior Community Partnership (LSCP) and other local economic development organizations to jointly secure a $3,426,015 grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. This partnership established the Central Upper Peninsula Small Business Support Hub (SBSH) covering seven counties. Accelerate UP contributed one-third of the grant writer's cost for the application. The grant funds key positions including a Business Navigator for personalized coaching and a Strategic Operations and Marketing Coordinator.
• Central Upper Peninsula Small Business Support HubcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023A seven-county regional initiative established through the MEDC grant partnership. Accelerate UP serves as a key implementation partner, mentoring and training five Small Business Navigators through the Hub. The Hub addresses capacity limitations and advances Accelerate UP's mission across the broader Upper Peninsula region.
• University of Wisconsin-Stout Applied Research CenterminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCommissioned by the Lundin Foundation in 2018 to conduct a formal scoping study and final evaluation report analyzing the effectiveness of Accelerate UP's program. Produced the assessment framework and evaluation report for the organization.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SCORE: National nonprofit providing free, confidential business mentoring and coaching to entrepreneurs and small business owners across the U.S., operating through a volunteer mentor network — a closely analogous service model to Accelerate UP.
• Women's Business Centers (WBC) Program (U.S. SBA): SBA-sponsored network providing free business coaching, mentoring, and training to entrepreneurs, frequently partnering with regional economic-development organizations — directly comparable in mission and delivery.
• Lake Superior Community Partnership: Regional economic-development organization that partnered with Accelerate UP on the $3.4M MEDC grant and operates small-business support programming in the Upper Peninsula, overlapping in customer base and services.
• Michigan Small Business Development Center (MI-SBDC): State-funded network offering no-cost business consulting, coaching, and training to entrepreneurs in Michigan, with regional offices that mirror Accelerate UP's hub-and-coaching approach.

Broad incumbents

• Techstars: Large global accelerator providing mentorship-driven programs to early-stage founders; overlaps with Accelerate UP's accelerator/coaching framework but operates with venture-backed for-profit economics.
• gener8tor: National startup accelerator/venture fund running cohort-based programs; broader geography and investment-oriented model, but shares the accelerator/mentor-driven structure for early-stage entrepreneurs.

Others

• Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation: Major national philanthropy focused on entrepreneurship research and ecosystem support; not a direct service provider but a thematic peer shaping funder strategy for organizations like Accelerate UP.

Regional players

• Northern Initiatives: Michigan-based CDFI providing lending and business-development support to small businesses across the Upper Peninsula and northern Michigan; comparable regional focus and entrepreneur-support services.
• Invent@NMU: Northern Michigan University entrepreneurship program referenced in Accelerate UP staff credentials; comparable Northern Michigan-based entrepreneurship education and support programming.
• Local First Michigan: Michigan-based nonprofit promoting locally owned businesses through community campaigns and support programs, similar in community-led GTM and small-business advocacy to Accelerate UP.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/AccelerateUP
• Instagraminstagram.com/accelerateupmqt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/accelerate-up

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 ACCELERATE UP