OVU offers a suite of programs designed to meet entrepreneurs at different stages and in different industries. Whether you are building your first business or scaling an existing one, whether you are preparing for procurement contracts or need expert support for your brick-and-mortar, there is a place for you here. Every program includes access to wellness support, community, and the full OVU ecosystem.
ELEVATED Cities is OVU’s flagship 12-week incubator for early-stage entrepreneurs who are building sustainable, profitable businesses.
ELEVATED Cities focuses on aiding small‑business owners by providing training, coaching, and mentoring in the areas of operations, marketing, sales, financial literacy, and capital readiness. Participants receive hands-on business training, mentorship, wellness support with licensed therapists, and entry into a national community of founders.
ELEVATE Mississippi emphasizes providing training to improve participants’ business acumen in the areas of operations, marketing, sales, and funding options, and assisting them in creating the assets needed to compete in today’s economy.
Get Procured is a specialized program focused on helping entrepreneurs navigate the local, state, and federal procurement, as well as corporate procurement process. Participants are connected with procurement professionals, coaches, and key contacts within supplier diversity offices. The program prepares businesses to compete for and win government and corporate contracts. OVU has completed six cohorts of Get Procured in Georgia and Mississippi with plans to expand.
AMPLIFY: Main Street provides technical assistance to small business owners, primarily those with brick-and-mortar locations. Over eight months, participants work with two dedicated service providers in their greatest area of need, receiving hands-on support in operations, strategy, branding, and marketing. The program currently operates in the Southeast with plans to expand nationally by 2027.
Forward Village is OVU’s national accelerator for founders building companies that solve problems and scale. This is not an open application program. Forward Village is by invitation only, designed for founders who have already proven their concept and are ready to build something that changes how communities work, hire, heal, eat, move, or grow. If your business creates measurable social impact and has the potential to scale regionally or nationally, this is where you belong. Forward Village founders receive strategic capital, intensive technical assistance, AI and technology integration, wellness support, and access to OVU’s national network of mentors, partners, and market access. The relationship does not end when the program ends. OVU invests in Forward Village companies for the long term because we believe in what they are building. National. Selective. Built for founders who are ready.
Village Roots is OVU’s alumni and ongoing community membership for entrepreneurs who have completed any OVU program. Members maintain access to the ecosystem, including peer connections, continued wellness support, business resources, and retail placement opportunities through Village Retail. The village does not end when the program ends.
Access to licensed therapists and wellness sessions A dedicated program manager committed to your growth Entry into a national community of OVU founders
Retail placement opportunities through Village Retail AI and technology integration support
