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Kickstart Your Path
to Entrepreneurship
in 2026 with

digitalundivided START program logo APPLY HERE!
Support from

START HBCU Alabama

START is a three-week, virtual incubator for founders with a clear business concept they're ready to launch. The program gives participants a step-by-step roadmap, expert guidance, and the practical tools to turn an idea into a viable business. This year, students at HBCUs in Alabama have the opportunity to participate in START.

Partnering with the Alabama Collective

Alumni of The Alabama Collective are eligible to apply to START this year. Together Digitalundivided and The Alabama Collective will bring START to The HBCU Business Pitch Competition at the Magic City Classic, where the next generation of innovators and small business founders turn an idea into momentum. Selected competitors get the three-week virtual incubator to sharpen their concept before they ever step up to pitch, then compete in person for cash prizes during Magic City Classic weekend in Birmingham. Competitors who complete the three-week program get a $250.00 stipend.

INTENT TO COMPETE!

WHO SHOULD APPLY

Idea-stage founder

Got a bold business idea and are ready to make it real?

Early-stage founder

Got a business that you want to formalize?

Impact

Able to articulate how being in the program contributes to disrupting inequities within the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Communication

Able to clearly and concisely summarize their business concept and vision.

Continual Learner

Open to mentorship, learning, and building a scalable, sustainable, tech-enabled business.

Basic Qualifications

  • Business is or will be based in the U.S.
  • Alumni of The Alabama Collective
  • 18 years or older*

*College students under 18 must self identify and be able to participate.

If you answered "yes," START is the program for you

In three weeks you'll leave with a tested Business Model Canvas and a pitch you can take to customers, partners, and investors.

Digitalundivided team members in conversation during an event

START CURRICULUM

Over three weeks, you'll work through the core building blocks of a successful launch, applying each one directly to your own venture:

  • Lean Startup Methodology
  • Building & testing your Business Model Canvas
  • Customer Personas & Discovery
  • Developing/Testing Assumptions
  • Scalable Revenue Models
  • Startup Law 101
  • The Art of Pitching
Digitalundivided CEO, Board and founders and team members seated together during a community event

We are Digitalundivided.


For over a decade, we’ve equipped founders with the space to dream, innovate, and grow. START, our flagship pre-revenue program, is a hands-on virtual incubator built to ignite early-stage entrepreneurs’ journeys. Grounded in Lean Startup principles, participants build a dynamic Business Model Canvas and put it to work, testing assumptions, shaping a revenue model, and transforming a fresh idea into a viable business.

Together, we’re empowering promising ventures with the tools and support they need to build sustainable futures.

Our START Community

2024 Cohort

26 Intensive Cohort Alumni

76 Semi-Intensive Programming

In Partnership with

2025 Cohort 1

13 Intensive Cohort Alumni

106 Semi-Intensive Programming

In Partnership with

2025 Cohort 2

8 Intensive Cohort Alumni

43 Semi-Intensive Programming

In Partnership with

2025 Cohort 3

9 Intensive Cohort Alumni

47 Semi-Intensive Programming

In Partnership with

START has partnered with leading HBCUs, financial institutions, and community organizations to bring early-stage incubator training to diverse founders across the country.

2026 Partner

Prior Sponsors + Philanthropy Partners

About Digitalundivided

For over a decade, Digitalundivided has increased visibility and access for founders. We began with groundbreaking research and have since expanded to founder-centric training programs, strategic partnerships, and a vibrant founder community.

Digitalundivided not only champions an equitable entrepreneurial landscape, we give founders at every stage the space to improvise and innovate. When you empower founders, you transform entrepreneurship.