A 6-month accelerator program for Black-owned businesses.
The Mission
The mission of the Future Collective is to support Black entrepreneurs within the Fiverr ecosystem by maximizing their opportunities for growth. The program grew out of Fiverr’s commitment to enabling a more equitable playing field for entrepreneurs who face systemic structures, cultural barriers, or life circumstances working against them.
Proud to announce the entrepreneurs of the 3rd annual Future Collective
Components
Empowering entrepreneurs with financial resources
Awardees will each receive $24,000 total: $18,000 in cash and $6,000 in Fiverr credit. The $18,000 can be used towards the business however the entrepreneurs and their coach see fit. The $6,000 credit can be applied to professional services offered on Fiverr’s platform.
Centering live, interactive learning and mentorship
Every workshop is hosted live, providing opportunities for collective learning and collaborative discussions. Led by 1863 Ventures or Fiverr via Zoom the curriculum covers essential topics, including Business Operations, Risk Mitigation, and more.
Building bonds and networks to catalyze growth
The program facilitates connections among entrepreneurs, previous cohorts, and the wider 1863 Ventures community. The cohort will have a dedicated Fiverr Customer Success Manager to recommend freelancers and the opportunity to meet Fiverr's Executive team.
OVerview
The Future Collective is an accelerator program by Fiverr for early-stage U.S. and Canada-based Black entrepreneurs at pivotal moments in their business.
We're putting our purpose—to revolutionize how the world works together by creating opportunities for anyone to grow their business, brand, or dreams—into action. We do this by contributing to expanding access to funding, resources, education, and mentorship to empower entrepreneurs in attaining both prosperous business outcomes and long-term viability.
All education and mentorship is overseen by Fiverr and 1863 Ventures, a DC-based business working to accelerate New Majority founders (i.e. individuals who have been historically underestimated) from high potential to high growth.
We are currently in our third year of offering this program and are excited as our commitment to this work grows and evolves.
Eligibility
In order to be eligible for the 2024 Future Collective, the applicant must confirm they meet each of the following criteria:
- You have a Fiverr account and have made 3+ orders
- You identify as Black or African American
- You are a U.S. or Canada resident and over the age of 18
- Your business is in operation for at least 1 year with product(s)/service(s) ready to promote and sell at a national level
- Your business has revenues of over $75,000 in the most recent fiscal year
- Your business is based in the U.S. or Canada and incorporated as a legal entity under the laws of any U.S. state or under the Canadial law, as applicable; and 51% Black-owned, managed, and controlled.
- You commit to investing a total of 30+ hours of training, coaching, and assignments from January to June 2024 in addition to ad-hoc activities including, but not limited to, networking and content creation.
Curriculum
Capacity Building
In entrepreneurship, success encompasses more than technical skills. Elevate your business by strengthening both your entrepreneurial mindset and capacity. Tailored for existing business owners, this module cultivates perspectives and capacities for sustainable growth and innovation.
Marketing & Customer Management
Gain profound insights into your audience and their journey to becoming loyal customers. Leverage data to enhance customer understanding. Implement a customer-centric framework to streamline operations, boost customer lifetime value, cut costs, and maximize return on ad spend.
Finance & Financing
Revenue is vanity, profit is sanity, but cash is King (or Queen). Finance is the universal language of business, offering insights into a company's trajectory. This session empowers you to confidently navigate your finances, create financial scenarios, and outline the actions needed to attain your desired outcomes.
Risk Mitigation
Safeguard your business by identifying and managing potential risks. Learn to develop and implement strategies that protect your venture from uncertainties and threats, essential for scaling your business.
Business Operations
Effective process management drives the success of top brands. It propels your brand towards its goals, enhances organizational structure for operational efficiency, and bolsters your competitive edge. Learn to identify, optimize, and maintain crucial processes in your brand for sustained success.
Fundraising
Secure capital with precision – know how much you need and how to allocate it wisely. Dive into the art of raising funds, whether through debt, equity, grants, or crowdfunding, equipping yourself with the skills for successful business financing.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Future Collective alumni would recommend the program.
reported streamlining operations, which improved their strategic vision and formalized processes.
experienced business growth, including an increase in customers, brand awareness, and revenue.
2024
Kameron Davis
Kameron Davis is an Arizona-based aerospace engineer turned designer, specializing in lettering, motion, and branding. As a Black designer, he takes pride in inspiring underrepresented students to consider design as a viable career path.
From (space) dust to diamonds. This year’s guiding concept relates to Black entrepreneurs not always having a clear understanding of what it takes to make it as an entrepreneur. The beginning of this journey often starts with a lot of undecipherable noise that over time and effort transforms into something that is beautiful. Ultimately, they turn chaos into clarity.
.webp)
2023
Hank Washington
Hank Washington is a Mississippi-raised creative and operator of Hank Designs Studio. With almost a decade of sweat in the game, Hank has designed and art-directed for brands, small and large, and is obsessed with good typography and fuzzy illustrations.
For this campaign, he drew inspiration from the unique way gems interact with light, paralleling how these Black business owners will shine for their respective communities in different ways.
.webp)
2022
Khara Woods
Khara Woods is a graphic designer and artist from Memphis, TN. She used shape, line, and an energetic color palette to highlight the resiliency of black entrepreneurs. Lines symbolize their bounce-back spirit, while the diamond shape represents beauty and toughness. These entrepreneurs persevere despite limited resources, like diamonds in the rough needing mentorship and capital to reach their potential.
.webp)
2024
Kameron Davis
Kameron Davis is an Arizona-based aerospace engineer turned designer, specializing in lettering, motion, and branding. As a Black designer, he takes pride in inspiring underrepresented students to consider design as a viable career path.
From (space) dust to diamonds. This year’s guiding concept relates to Black entrepreneurs not always having a clear understanding of what it takes to make it as an entrepreneur. The beginning of this journey often starts with a lot of undecipherable noise that over time and effort transforms into something that is beautiful. Ultimately, they turn chaos into clarity.
2023
Hank Washington
Hank Washington is a Mississippi-raised creative and operator of Hank Designs Studio. With almost a decade of sweat in the game, Hank has designed and art-directed for brands, small and large, and is obsessed with good typography and fuzzy illustrations.
For this campaign, he drew inspiration from the unique way gems interact with light, paralleling how these Black business owners will shine for their respective communities in different ways.
2022
Khara Woods
Khara Woods is a graphic designer and artist from Memphis, TN. She used shape, line, and an energetic color palette to highlight the resiliency of black entrepreneurs. Lines symbolize their bounce-back spirit, while the diamond shape represents beauty and toughness. These entrepreneurs persevere despite limited resources, like diamonds in the rough needing mentorship and capital to reach their potential.
