Our Mission

100 URBAN ENTREPRENEURS (100UE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation dedicated to helping provide a meaningful, long-term economic boost to urban communities throughout the United States by supporting minority entrepreneurship at its earliest stages. We do so by offering $10,000 startup grants and eight weeks of intensive business mentoring to entrepreneurs all across the United States.

It’s important to note that the vast majority of the businesses we help are not high-tech firms. They’re culinary shops, retail operations, fashion lines, tutoring services — the kinds of companies that knit together urban communities nationwide, creating jobs and economic growth in the places they call home.

That, ultimately, is what sets 100UE apart: We invest at the beginning of businesses’ life cycle, when they’re unlikely to attract the attention of angel investors or venture capitalists. Research shows that urban entrepreneurs receive a minuscule share of early-stage funding, so 100UE targets its financing accordingly — assisting these young businesspeople and their communities when they need it most.