ACT Tulsa, a new business accelerator for ‘underestimated founders’
launched in partnership with i2E, recently welcomed its first cohort of nine minority-led new ventures.

The 6-month accelerator program is aimed at cultivating and driving innovation of minority-led technology startups located in Tulsa and beyond. In the first cohort, nine companies with 17 founders, six are women founders, were selected that have a wide range in types of industry, founder background and cultural dynamics.

Companies participating in the first cohort are BiteWay, Boddle, Bodify, Cadenzo, Comme Homme, Concept C3, Fansub, Fresh Fabrics, and Ideate.

Founders will spend the next six months building equity in their operations, product development and team cohesion, and positioning their startups to raise money in their first round.

ACT Tulsa has its roots back to November 2019 when i2E’s Malachi Blankenship met Dominick Ard’is, founder and CEO of Florida-based ACT House, Inc., while serving as panelists at Black Tech Weekend in Tulsa.

Malachi said of the partnership, “We’re making this $70,000 investment in amazing founders in a way that works to increase their valuation by fueling their startup to capture more revenue without decreasing their ownership.

The ACT Tulsa staff and cohort will share i2E’s new fifth floor office space and 36° North incubator space in the City Hall building in downtown Tulsa.

Read more about the first ACT Tulsa cohort.