TiE Atlanta & Access Georgia Foundation
Campaign: ACCESS
Scope of Project
As a part of TiE Atlanta’s effort to increase its impact on women- and underrepresented founders, it launched the ACCESS program in 2020. TiE Atlanta launched ACCESS to give founders access to the three C’s they most need – capital, coaching, and connections. ACCESS aims to provide a new avenue for profitable, investable companies to expand their networks and support for their startups.
The Challenge
Minority- and women-owned companies are being launched at historical rates. However, these companies are not funded equally via traditional investments such as investors, venture capital, and conventional small business loans as their counterparts. Many utilize their resources to enter pitch competitions to receive minimal capital to support their ventures. ACCESS was founded to use the strengths of TiE Atlanta, a nonprofit organization that focuses on mentoring, investing, and connecting entrepreneurs in all stages and industries and channeling it to founders that need support in mentoring, capital, and connections.
The Approach
TiE Atlanta and 23 East Group (then O’Neill Communications) worked to build a program to address the problem and market the program as an Investor Showcase to lean away from the pitch competition model. The firm helped to make the program framework that is still in practice today. The program would accept applications; review by a committee to meet the parameters of investing criteria; choose finalists; provide three mentors per company for eight – 10 weeks of mentorship; workshops on business needs such as finance, legal, marketing, etc.; mock pitches; and final Investor Showcase.
Once the outline was designed and finalized, 23 East Group was charged with the marketing and public relations efforts to increase awareness for the program.
The Marketing Tools
The firm designed and established the program logo and brand message. We built an online webpage to direct people of the formation of the program and deadlines.
We designed and developed the branding and messaging for the campaign for social media, email marketing, and press releases. This also included marketing collateral, one-pagers, brochures, and more.
The integrated marketing approach allowed the firm to develop exclusive media partnerships with business-oriented press such as Hypepotamus and Atlanta Small Business Network. The firm also did press outreach to Atlanta Inno, Metro Atlanta CEO, and more. It also provided regional media outreach for ACCESS companies and arranged interviews with media partners to help grow the visibility of the companies and the program.
In its public relations efforts, the firm also brought together partnerships with City of Dunwoody, and corporations such as TowerPoint, State Farm, and more who give back to the program as mentors and community partners.
The Results
Through its press relations efforts, TiE Atlanta ACCESS has received 50 mentions across local and regional media outlets since 2020. This has reached 3.6 million unique viewers per month for the media outlets.
In overall marketing and outreach efforts, the firm was able to support TiE Atlanta to achieve the following:
Companies: During 2020-2022, TiE Atlanta received over 150 applications for its programming from Georgia and surrounding states.
Coaching: ACCESS has engaged 33 mentors over the three years for its companies who have delivered over 200 hours of coaching and mentoring to our founders. Through its Partner Mentors, an additional 50 hours was provided to all companies in the 2022 cohort.
Capital: Through ACCESS, the participating companies received more resources in mentorship and investing through TiE Atlanta and supporting chapters. The program has raised and invested $1.5 million into ten women- or minority-led companies. The program has also awarded $73K in social impact grants to companies led by such underrepresented founders and improving the community through social entrepreneurship.
Connections: ACCESS has provided each participating company direct access to leading entrepreneurs, business leaders, and investors to help grow their businesses. The program committee has also engaged leading corporations and growing cities within Metro Atlanta to partner with ACCESS to increase impact and resources such as mentorship, office spaces, and business services.
The program has now reached a point of inflection and influences that key partners are reaching out to TiE Atlanta to be a part of this real-world movement of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Key Stats of ACCESS:
- 2020: 51 applicants; 21 semi-finalists; 11 finalists
- From Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina
- 82% Female, 62% African-American, 18% Hispanic, 18% Asian founders
- 2021: 54 applicants; 16 semi-finalists; 6 finalists
- From Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and Tennesee
- 86% Female, 86% African American, 14% Asian founders
- 2022: 43 applicants; 13 semi-finalists; 4 finalists
- From Georgia, Virginia, and North Carolina
- 75% female, 75% African American
- 2024: As of 2024, ACCESS became its own 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, ACCESS Georgia Foundation. 23 East Group is now the Foundation’s Agency of Record. Its results now include:
- 30 applicants; 10 semi-finalists; 8 finalists
- Created a partnership with City of Dunwoody, Georgia State University Perimeter College, State Farm, and Perimeter Chamber of Commerce