Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs

About Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs

The Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE) is Atlanta's leading economic mobility engine, dedicated to creating and accelerating opportunities for Black business owners across the South and beyond. Inspired by the legacy of Herman J. Russell, RICE aims to build, grow, and scale Black businesses, fostering job creation and wealth building with a mission to 'Build. Black. Business.' It serves as a unique ecosystem providing uncommon access to capital, connections, and resources through collaboration with mission-aligned experts.

Products & Services

Big IDEAS:A program to support innovative business ideas for entrepreneurs.

Coaching Circles:A supportive group coaching initiative for stakeholders to grow their businesses.

Retail Readiness Academy:A program designed to prepare entrepreneurs for retail business success.

Product Development Pathway:A pathway to assist entrepreneurs in developing their products.

Supply Chain Accelerator:An accelerator program focused on optimizing supply chain processes for businesses.

Saturday School:Educational sessions held on Saturdays to support business learning and growth.

Georgia AIM:A project aimed at supporting Black businesses in Georgia.

Content Studio:A studio available for bookings to create content for businesses.

RICE Market Merchandise:Branded apparel such as 'Build Black Business' and 'Black Excellence Lives Here' t-shirts.

Specialties

Black Entrepreneurship Economic Mobility Business Acceleration Community Building Access to Capital and Resources

Funding History

Debug: View Raw Funding Data

#	Type	Amount Fields	Date Fields	Investors
1	RT: Grant T: - FT: Grant	A: 2000000 MR: - FA: $2 million FAN: 2000000	D: 2024-02-29 FD: 2024-02-29	2 investors
2	RT: Grant T: - FT: Grant	A: 1000000 MR: - FA: $1 million FAN: 1000000	D: 2024-02-20 FD: 2024-02-20	1 investors
3	RT: Philanthropic Investment T: - FT: Philanthropic Investment	A: 1500000 MR: - FA: $1.5 million FAN: 1500000	D: 2023-11-21 FD: 2023-11-21	1 investors
4	RT: Grant T: - FT: Grant	A: 100000 MR: - FA: 100,000 FAN: 100000	D: 2023-11-14 FD: 2023-11-14	1 investors
5	RT: Grant T: - FT: Grant	A: 800000 MR: - FA: $800K FAN: 800000	D: 2023-10-02 FD: 2023-10-02	1 investors
6	RT: Grant T: - FT: Grant	A: 1000000 MR: - FA: $1 million FAN: 1000000	D: 2023-08-29 FD: 2023-08-29	1 investors

Grant Latest

2024-02-29

$2.0M

2 investors (Pro only)

Grant 2024-02-20

$1.0M

Philanthropic Investment 2023-11-21

$1.5M

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Growth Metrics

+45%

Employee Growth

YoY

3.2x

Funding Growth

Last Round

12

Markets

Operating

10K+

Customers

Active

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Team & Leadership

J

James "Jay" Bailey

President & Chief Executive Officer

S

Shawn Graham

Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer

J

Jo'Vion "JD" Greer

Chief Growth & Strategy Officer

Q

Quintin Bostic

Vice President of Partnerships

S

Stacey Lipscomb

Vice President of Finance

E

Elise Robinson

Vice President of Marketing & Communications

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