Seattle Has A New Black Business Incubator And Accelerator
Arif Gursel, founder and CEO of Pan-African Center for Empowerment (PACE), has launched SEA619, a program created to support Black entrepreneurs in the Seattle area. Gursel is launching multiple programs within SEA619, taking an individual approach for each business. The organization’s name is a combination of the Seattle-Tacoma airport code, SEA, and 619 to honor Juneteenth.
“I believe people come into things at varying needs, skill sets, and understandings, and when you try to put something on a rail, some of those carts go faster. Some of those carts go slower. It’s hard to move it in sync,” Gursel told Puget Sound Business Journal.
A business association, incubator, and accelerator
The program will consist of three programs: a business association, an incubator, and an accelerator. The business association will provide mentorship and resources to brick-and-mortar operations such as restaurants, salons, food trucks, and other physical product-based ventures.
The incubator will focus on supporting entrepreneurs in the idea stage or early-build phase, including young tech startups, artists, and content creators. The accelerator will prepare Black-led, AI-native startups and creator-owned digital brands for growth, scale, and potential venture backing.
Supporting Seattle’s Black Entrepreneurs
Gursel founded PACE a decade ago after stints at Microsoft, Salesforce, Netflix, and Google. The nonprofit, focused on organizing and advocacy, will power SEA619, building on years of informal mentorship Gursel has offered to Black founders. He hopes the program will draw entrepreneurs to Seattle.
SEA619 launched earlier this month and aims to secure its first founders by September, with the program starting in October.
The program will take no equity this year, though it may adopt a capped 2% stake in the future. well below the industry norm of 6%. SEA619 is also exploring grants and donations as it shapes its long-term business model.
Image: Brandon Hill
