W.E. Build Business Accelerator Program

W.E. Build is a performance-driven, in-person accelerator based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, specifically designed to support women entrepreneurs with limited access to resources and funding. The program is operated by Build in Tulsa, an organization committed to fostering economic mobility by supporting Black and underrepresented founders through entrepreneurship. W.E. Build serves as a three-month intensive designed for women-led ventures that are already generating revenue and seeking to scale. Its mission is to level the playing field by providing a structured, resource-rich environment for early-stage founders with demonstrated traction. The accelerator targets women leading scalable businesses in the Tech, Tech-enabled, or Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) sectors. Participants must be U.S.-based legal entities—LLCs, S-Corps, or C-Corps—and must either reside in or relocate to Tulsa for the program's duration, with a full-time weekly commitment of 40 hours. The program runs from September 2 to November 20, 2026, during which time founders are expected to increase their venture revenue by at least 25%. Applicants should be at the emerging or strong product-market fit stage and must demonstrate a clear intent to grow their business. W.E. Build provides a $25,000 non-dilutive business award, along with a comprehensive support package that includes business training, mentorship, and professional development. Additional benefits include access to coworking space, free legal consultation, mental health services, cost-of-living stipends (such as $1,000/month for housing), and technical support like laptops and connectivity tools. Founders also receive individualized support from an Entrepreneur-in-Residence and have access to financial modeling and forecasting tools. Unlike some accelerator programs, W.E. Build does not require equity in return for participation, allowing founders to retain full ownership of their businesses. Instead of following a standardized curriculum, participants work to develop a tailored growth strategy based on their unique goals and business models. The curriculum emphasizes critical aspects of scaling such as lead generation, sales strategy, financial management, and system-building to support sustained growth. The application deadline for the 2026 cohort is March 27, 2026. All applications must be submitted by this date. While travel back home on weekends is permitted, program organizers strongly encourage participants to immerse themselves in Tulsa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem to derive maximum value. No other pre-application steps (like a concept note or LOI) are required, but selected applicants must commit to the full program schedule. Due to the intensive nature of the program, concurrent participation in other accelerators is discouraged. Applications are submitted through the Build in Tulsa platform. Although no formal application components or required documentation were listed, founders are likely expected to provide basic business information and demonstrate their readiness to scale. The selection process likely involves assessing business traction, growth potential, and founder commitment. No contact phone or email was provided in the source material; however, interested applicants are encouraged to connect with the Build in Tulsa team for more details. Recipients of previous cohorts, such as founders from ResumeATM, STB Technologies, and Orijin, attest to the program’s effectiveness in driving sales growth and enhancing brand development.

Founders should immerse themselves in Tulsa and dedicate full-time presence to maximize benefit.