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Flywheel Social Enterprise Hub

Accelerator for startups with social-impact missions.

Cincinnati, OH, USA

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Description

Flywheel Social Enterprise Hub is a Cincinnati-based capacity-building organization and startup accelerator specifically designed for founders who have integrated social or environmental impact into their business models. 
Flywheel focuses on early-stage and occasionally mid-stage social enterprises. 
  • Target Stage: Startups that are revenue-producing or have a validated business model but require technical assistance to scale both financial return and social impact (the "double bottom line").
  • Venture Type: For-profit businesses addressing systemic social inequities or environmental sustainability. 

The hub operates structured cohort-based programs rather than rolling investments. 


Eligibility

  • Geography: Primarily focused on the Greater Cincinnati region.
  • Impact Alignment: Startups must address systemic race/gender bias or environmental challenges.
  • Capacity: Founders must commit 6–8 hours per week to the program's milestones. 

Process

  1. Intake: Following the momentum from 2025, 2026 programs focus on execution-ready social startups.
  2. Training: An 8 to 9-week accelerator (e.g., Elevate Impact) providing hybrid online and in-person workshops.
  3. Coaching: Founders receive 1:1 coaching and approximately 180 hours of professional support.
  4. Culmination: Programs conclude with a Demo Day or pitch competition to showcase solutions to the community and investors. 

What an Applicant can Obtain

  • Direct Funding: A stipend or investment of up to $5,000 for business development expenses during the program.
  • In-Kind Value: Services and programming valued at approximately $10,000 per founder.
  • Connections: Access to "Philanthropreneurs" (donor-investors) and a network of follow-on funding sources that have previously invested over $6 million in alumni