The Black Chamber of Arizona is partnering with the Millionaire Mastermind Academy to kick off the third cohort of its Impact AZ business accelerator.

The 2025 program will start with a full-day launch event Tuesday, July 8, at the Better Business Bureau Innovation & Event Hub Center, 1010 E. Missouri Ave. in Phoenix.

The nine-month program is designed to help small business owners scale, build operational capacity and access supplier diversity opportunities. This year, 23 entrepreneurs will participate at no cost through $100,000 in scholarships funded by corporate sponsors.

Bank of America serves as the title sponsor for the 2025 cohort. Additional sponsors include Bell Bank, Cox Communications, Aventiv Technologies, Blue Cross Blue Shield, National Bank of Arizona and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

“It brings me great joy to continue this program and to thank Bank of America, our title sponsor, for making it possible,” said Dr. Velma Trayham, president and CEO of the Black Chamber of Arizona. “To see how quickly these entrepreneurs are growing — and to witness our alumni scaling their businesses — is phenomenal.”

The kickoff event, which runs 9 a.m.-3 p.m., will feature keynote speakers, networking, live media opportunities and a program overview for participants. Speakers include:

• Christine Abdullah, senior vice president, preferred business, Bank of America
• Eduardo Borquez, director of business engagement, Better Business Bureau
• Shamia Lodge, director of community engagement, Aventiv Technologies
• Ryan Garlington, senior manager, customer success, Cox Communications
• Jay Gladney, certified mentor, SCORE Greater Phoenix Chapter
• Diane Roberts, program manager, Impact AZ
• Dr. Velma Trayham, president and CEO, Black Chamber of Arizona

The program offers more than 40 courses, one-on-one mentorship and access to a proprietary mobile app providing on-demand training in procurement, capital access, strategic planning and business scaling.

Since its inception in 2022, Impact AZ has graduated 75 entrepreneurs, many of whom have scaled into employer firms. Collectively, program alumni have generated more than $5 million in contract revenue. The program reports a 95% success rate among participants.

Impact AZ 2025 addresses these challenges by equipping underrepresented entrepreneurs with the tools, networks and resources to thrive.