Inspire. Educate. Accelerate.
SPARK Accel is a personalized virtual accelerator designed to help Taiwanese American entrepreneurs grow as leaders and scale their businesses. Built by a team of experienced tech professionals across the U.S., the program will give entrepreneurs the opportunity to learn from successful TA founders and business leaders, join a supportive members-only network, and win up to $15,000 with no strings attached.
Steven Chen, one of SPARK Accel’s co-founders, is Head of Product at Rocketbook.
“Taking the leap of faith to start a business that can have a positive impact on society is one of the most rewarding journeys one can embark on in life,” he shared with us. “But, it can also be an extremely stressful one filled with self-doubt and uncertainty. It can seem like a lonely road, but it doesn’t have to be. We created SPARK Accel to encourage Taiwanese American entrepreneurs to take that chance and to support them. Furthermore, we hope that the founders will be inspired by the stories, mentorship, and friendships gained through this program. Ultimately, inspiration keeps us moving forward when we feel like quitting. It’s a source of energy that needs constant replenishment and we’ll be sharing lots of that during the four weeks.”
Erica Liu joins SPARK Accel as a Product Manager at GivePulse. She’s “most passionate about entrepreneurship because it’s a journey of independence, creative problem solving, relentless optimism, and triumph! Although the risks are high, there is no ceiling for the learning and impact that you can deliver since you are in the driver’s seat.
Entrepreneurship most certainly is a challenging and lonely journey, so for me, SPARK Accel is a great opportunity to help make that journey a little less stressful for founders, as well as be inspired by fellow Taiwanese Americans.”
Another co-founder, Yu Jiang Tham, is a Senior Research Engineer at Snap Inc. He tells us that he’s “most excited about creating new bonds between successful Taiwanese American founders and a new generation of entrepreneurs.”
Image: Screenshot of some of SPARK Accel’s mentors
This year’s Taiwanese American mentors include Kevin Lin, co-founder of Twitch and Gold House; Maggie Hsu, co-founder of Mochi Magazine and Gold House; Patrick Lee, co-founder of Rotten Tomatoes; and Holly Liu, who led the design for Kabam’s award-winning “Kingdoms of Camelot” franchise. You can find the running list of mentors here. Aspiring mentors can also volunteer to host office hours, fireside chats, and more here.
Like so many foundational programs in our community, SPARK Accel is entirely volunteer-run by Taiwanese American entrepreneurs passionate about carving out support, financial opportunities, and an impactful network.
The inaugural 4-week program will take place during weekday evenings between July 19 – August 13 and is 100% free. The programming includes:
- Joining a community of Taiwanese American founders and investors
- Learning through fireside chats, panels, and 1:1 mentor office hours
- Building lasting relationships within this tight-knit network
- Perfecting your pitch for the virtual pitch competition
- The opportunity to win up to $15,000 in cash
Applications are open until June 12.
Visit www.sparkaccel.com to learn more and apply!
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