A WILD, wild MISSION:
Our Foundations. Our Purpose. Your future.
Our Mission.
Wild Accelerator is a 501c3 empowering historically marginalized founders, women, people of color, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and folks from economically disadvantaged communities, with entrepreneurship education, mentorship, and capital.
Because entrepreneurship isn't just about building businesses. It's about building wealth, transforming communities, and changing what's possible for the next generation.
Our VISION.
An entrepreneurial ecosystem where everyone gets a fair shot.
Where undeniable founders build resilient businesses, access the capital they need, tap into strategic networks, and keep growing, without having to fight for a seat at the table.
WHERE ARE YOU IN YOUR JOURNEY?
Just starting out? We've got Wild Academy.
Building a Startup? Wild Beta gives you the toolkit and the crew.
Want to support? Wild Fund invests in undeniable founders.
OUR STORY.
the BEGINNING.
Founded in 2018 by Tarik Nally and Stacy Servo of Kale & Flax to fill a gap in access, opportunity, and funding for marginalized founders, Wild was born from a stark reality: women-led startups deliver 35% higher ROI despite receiving less than 2% of venture capital. Recognizing that Louisville’s goldmine of brilliant ideas simply lacked the resources to flourish, Wild became the arm that stretches across that gap and says: “I see you. Grab on. I got you.” This original vision launched with Season 1 of Wild Accelerator, featuring three founders and the backing of PNC Bank.
2019.
Season 2 of Wild Accelerator launched in Fall 2019 with six female founders, shortly before Wild found its permanent home at Story. By Kale & Flax transferring brand assets to Natalia Bishop’s innovation hub and co-working community, the partnership aligned Wild’s mission to fix funding disparities with Story’s expansive resources, network, and space. Together, we’ve worked to give undeniable founders what they deserve: a fair shot at success. Even as the world shifted between 2020 and 2022, we used that time to reflect deeply on how to evolve our impact and change the world for the better.
2023.
We launched Journey to Investment Ready—implemented with Velo and the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic—as a three-day conference for emerging market founders and investors, backed by the JPMorgan Chase Foundation and national donors. Alongside this, Wild Beta Season 3 offered a 14-week intensive for Black and Latinx femme-identifying founders in high-tech startups. This revamped micro-accelerator provided holistic coaching, mentorship, and therapy, culminating in a Demo Day where founders pitched to investors and opened doors to real opportunities.
2024 & 2025.
We began building the first iteration of Wild Academy as a 6-week 'train-the-trainer' model for organizations serving founders and students in marketing, product, and sales. Launched with partners like the University of Memphis, Louisville Urban League, The Well, and Simmons College (KY’s first HBCU), the program served over 75 participants in Louisville. We also expanded our global reach by developing workshops and bootcamps for founders worldwide through our partnership with the World Affairs Council of Kentucky.
2026.
Armed with feedback from hundreds of founders, we scaled our impact beyond Louisville by re-launching Wild Academy as a virtual, Self-Paced Learning Hub. Our secret weapon is WILLA, our proprietary AI business coach, which allows founders, students, and professionals to access entrepreneurship education anywhere in the world. This innovation also enables community organizations to implement the Academy themselves, generating revenue for their missions while expanding access. It’s the breakthrough that has positioned us for sustainable, global growth.
& BEYOND.
This new chapter also brings a brand refresh (thanks to our friends at Kale & Flax) that better reflects who we've always been: radically inclusive and undeniably Wild. In Fall of 2026 we will launch a new season (S4) of Wild Beta, powered by JPMChase Foundation, This expansion lets us reach more founders regionally, nationally, and globally, while staying true to our mission and positioning Louisville as a national model for inclusive innovation.
A THRIVING, INCLUSIVE ECOSYSTEM:
Wild launched because we saw too many brilliant, underestimated founders navigating entrepreneurship alone. We’ve been there. So we built what we wish we had, programs that are warm, rigorous, and radically inclusive.
WHAT MAKES WILD DIFFERENT:
We were among the first accelerators to systematically integrate mental health support, therapy, and leadership coaching into our programming. Because building a business is hard, and founders deserve whole-person support.
We built a train-the-trainer model that lets community organizations implement Wild Academy themselves, scaling our impact while helping partners generate sustainable revenue.
We measure everything: revenue growth, fundraising success, mental health outcomes, community impact. Our data-driven approach ensures we're always improving.
We're backed by global leaders, alongside incredible local partners who share our vision.
BORN TO BE WILD.
you don’t have to do this alone.
Together, Story and Wild embody a holistic vision: to create a thriving, inclusive ecosystem where ideas become businesses, and businesses become catalysts for community transformation.
LOOKING AHEAD.
We're at an inflection point. Our founders are winning competitions, securing follow-on funding, and scaling businesses that don't just generate revenue, they transform communities. We've proven the model works.
Now we're scaling it.
Here’s what we are cooking up next:
Wild Fund
Capital deployment for founders ready to scale. Because access to education and mentorship isn't enough—founders also need capital.
Wild Community Fund
An innovative partnership model creating evergreen funding through donor-advised funds with community foundations. We're pioneering new territory here.
National Expansion
Through our train-the-trainer model, we're positioning Louisville as a national model for inclusive entrepreneurship. What starts here will change the world.
Sustainable Growth
Multiple revenue streams. Proven scalability. Measured impact. We're building something that lasts.
The data was clear when we started: Diverse-led startups deliver 35% higher ROI but receive less than 2% of VC funding. We're changing that, one founder, one program, one breakthrough at a time.
Want to help bring our vision to life and be a part of something bigger?
The Driving Force of Wild Accelerator.
We’re founders, investors, builders, and creatives. We’ve been on both sides of the pitch table and believe in doing the work with love and intention.
OUR BOARD:
Natalia Bishop
Board Chair.
Originally from Colombia and now based in Louisville, Natalia is an investor and ecosystem builder dedicated to empowering bold, early-stage founders. She founded Story, Louisville's first coworking space for startups, and led Level Up, a platform helping women advance their careers. Named one of Louisville Business First's 2025 Nonprofit Visionary Leaders and a 40 Under 40 honoree, Natalia continues to champion inclusive innovation as a mentor, board member, and speaker.
TARIK NALLY
Co-Founder & Board Member.
Tarik is the Founder of Kale & Flax, a global design thinking company transforming businesses through empathy and innovation, and a Partner at Re:land Group, a consultancy advancing sustainable, inclusive development. With over 18 years of cross-industry experience and an MBA in Entrepreneurship, Tarik uses design and strategy to amplify community impact.
KELA IVONYE
Board Member.
Kela empowers Louisville’s Black founders to launch and scale impactful startups. He co-founded Protege, a nonprofit and micro fund connecting Black entrepreneurs with mentorship and investment opportunities, and serves as an Entrepreneur in Residence at Amplify Louisville.
OUR TEAM:
ELISE WELSH
Program Manager.
Relational, organized, creative, and detail-oriented leader with experience in Sales, Project Management, Leadership, and Ops, in Hospitality and Startup environments. Elise is a collaborative teammate driven by excellence with a high value on empathy, connectedness, and adaptability in all she does.
LOURDES ROSILLO
Volunteer.
Lourdes is a multi-disciplinary strategist and psychologist with over 15 years of experience in B2C and B2B marketing. With an MBA and a Master’s in Marketing, she specializes in consumer psychology to help brands build deep, authentic connections. A certified innovation expert and consultant, Lourdes blends her expertise in branding, research, and quality systems to help entrepreneurs navigate complex markets with intention and clarity.
SPENCER JENKINS
Marketing Manager.
An award-winning and GLAAD-nominated journalist, Spencer brings over a decade of editorial experience to the intersection of media and social impact. As the founder and Editor-in-Chief of the nationally recognized nonprofit Queer Kentucky, he has dedicated his career to uplifting LGBTQ+ voices and building platforms for radical storytelling. Spencer blends his expertise in editorial strategy and community advocacy to amplify marginalized narratives and foster genuine cultural connection.
FRANKLIN DE LA ROSA
AI Product Engineer.
A bilingual Systems Engineer with dual master's degrees (MSBA and MBA) from the University of Louisville, Franklin brings over two decades of experience to the intersection of technology and business strategy. He specializes in driving digital transformation and leading multicultural teams to deliver data-centric solutions. From full-stack development to business intelligence, Franklin is dedicated to scaling technology that is as efficient as it is impactful.
EIRENE ROSILLO
Design Volunteer.
Eirene is a designer by profession and a storyteller at heart, dedicated to helping founders build brands they are proud to own. With an MBA in Entrepreneurship and over six years of experience across the U.S. and Colombia, she brings a unique strategic lens to the creative process. Eirene blends her expertise in branding, digital and print design with business strategy to translate complex ideas into intentional visual systems and high-impact solutions.
OUR VALUES:
Equity
is our baseline.
We don't just talk about equity, we design for it. From how we recruit founders to how we structure our programs, equity isn't an add-on. It's the foundation.
CURIOSITY
drives us.
We ask questions. We test assumptions. We stay open to new ideas, even when they challenge what we think we know. Curiosity keeps us learning, growing, and building better.
COMMUNITY
is our superpower.
No founder succeeds alone. We build networks, foster connections, and create spaces where founders support each other, because together, we're unstoppable.
ACTION
over perfection.
Done is better than perfect. We believe in momentum, iteration, and getting your hands dirty. Start messy and be mindfull. Learn fast. Keep moving.
OUR sponsors & PARTNERS.
We're proud to be backed by organizations that believe in our mission, from global leaders to local partners building Louisville's entrepreneurial ecosystem with us. Together, we're proving that when you invest in underrepresented founders, everyone wins.
