Mercy Health and the Intentional Development Group (IDG) are partnering to support the Cornerstone Collective: Minority Business Accelerator. This 12-month program is designed to provide minority-owned small businesses with business coaching, technical assistance, community support and working spaces as needed.
The Mercy Health Foundation awarded a $200,000 Community Health Fund grant to IDG to advance the Cornerstone Accelerator’s primary goal of closing the earnings gap for minority entrepreneurs and those who are under-resourced. This will be achieved by increasing access to capital, enhancing financial literacy and competency—both business and personal—and expanding investment opportunities in under-resourced communities.
“The Cornerstone Accelerator will be instrumental in making vital resources available to minority-owned small businesses. Fostering financial literacy, access to capital, and business growth opportunities will help create lasting economic stability for minority entrepreneurs, while also uplifting and empowering our communities. Mercy Health is proud to partner with IDG to encourage the growth of minority-owned business in the Mahoning Valley,” said Leigh Greene, Director of Community Health, Mercy Health – Youngstown.
The Accelerator program is designed to help businesses increase revenue and profit margins, expand market reach, grow employee numbers, acquire loans, grants, or VC funding, and develop strong leadership through the collective’s CEO mindset framework. A 12-week program will be offered in Youngstown, while IDG will also partner with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Lorain County Community College to facilitate a four-week training program.
The program’s training and resources are designed to help participants increase their financial stability, build capital, and scale their businesses. As such, the Accelerator program has the potential to enhance the economic security of individual households and the neighborhoods where these businesses operate, which directly correlates to better social and health outcomes.
While there is a dedicated focus on women, minority, veteran, and DBE-certified enterprises, the Cornerstone Collective will expand its scope to serve all small businesses. This inclusive approach supports the mission of fostering successful startups across a variety of industries.
“This initiative is more than just a business program—it’s a movement to create sustainable economic growth in under-resourced communities,” said Carmella M. Williams, CEO, Intentional Development Group. “We are excited to work alongside Mercy Health to bring meaningful resources to small business owners in Youngstown and beyond.”
This partnership underscores Mercy Health’s ongoing commitment to addressing economic and health disparities in the community by supporting businesses that drive meaningful impact.
This grant is part of nearly $1 million in Community Health Fund grants awarded annually to local partner organizations across the Bon Secours Mercy Health footprint. Mercy Health – Youngstown is part of Bon Secours Mercy Health and locally serves the Mahoning Valley. Started in 2023, the Community Health Fund has supported community programs and projects that support affordable housing development and preservation, food access, expanded care for the under and uninsured, small business development, substance use disorder and community partnership development.