FLINT—The Kentucky-based healthcare business accelerator XLerateHealth announced new funding from the city of Flint via the Small Business Administration Community Navigator Pilot Program and The Community Foundation of Flint. The grants will support the development of a new pre-accelerator program to help prime local healthcare innovation in the Flint area.
The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, one of the original funders of XLH Flint starting in 2018, will continue to support operations of the flagship Flint accelerator.
“We could not be more pleased to announce the expansion of our work in Michigan, and are especially proud to be a part of the first City of Flint SBA Community Navigator Pilot Program,” said Jackie Willmot CEO and co-founder of XLerate Health. “We have now put three cohorts through the Flint accelerator program and the creation of this new pre-accelerator program will help more local talent to get the resources, education and exposure they need to succeed. We extend deep gratitude to all of our partners and funders that have made XLH Flint successful over the last three years.”
XLH is one of the partners in the City of Flint Community Navigator Pilot Program, which aims to connect with a variety of entrepreneurial industries by providing assistance during economic recovery. Funds from this program, alongside the Award from the Community Foundation of Flint, will support the creation of a new pre-accelerator program to harvest more ideas out of the Flint region directly via universities, hospitals, and ecosystem partners and then funnel them into the flagship XLH accelerator.
“This [new SBA] grant will allow us to meet entrepreneurs where they are and help expand their resources for sustainable growth in Flint,” said City of Flint Economic Development Director Khalfani Stephens in a City of Flint announcement. “We are grateful to be one of the 32 organizations in the nation given this wonderful opportunity.”
XLH Flint has been in operation since 2018, with three cohorts completed and 18 companies that have collectively raised ~$3.7M. The team has a national network of coaches, mentors and investors and aims to raise awareness of and support for the talent and innovation happening in the region.
The new pre-accelerator program is expected to launch in the first quarter of 2022 and run February through March 2022. Interested applicants can register here. The next XLH flagship accelerator program will begin in Summer 2022. Applications open in January on xleratehealth.com.
The organization is actively recruiting for a Flint Project Manager to support the expansions. Interested applicants should apply here. Applications close Jan. 7, 2022. The role will report to the newly promoted Managing Director, XLH Flint, Sebastian Alvim.
