“The Rockefeller Foundation is happy to support organizations like City Startup Labs that seek to spur entrepreneurship in communities of color, which are so often under-represented in the current entrepreneurial ecosystem,” said Claudia Juech, Rockefeller Foundation managing director for strategic research. “We’re excited by the transformative potential of entrepreneurship, and by the opportunity to help an innovative program move from idea to action.”

City Startup Labs’ Executive Director, Henry Rock says that “this grant is a validation of our mission and will allow this effort to be realized. As a result of the Rockefeller Foundation partnering with us, we anticipate seeing real economic impact, starting in Charlotte and then in other markets, as we roll-out this program in subsequent years.”

The Entrepreneurs Academy pilot is set to launch in mid-January 2014.