← BUSINESS TRAINING / DISABILITY-TECH ACCELERATOR
Intensive 3-Month Business Accelerator Program, LIVE via Zoom.
Focused on the next generation of disability technology startups.
And the founders building those startups.
Head of Accelerator and Operations at Synergies Work
Most technology founders don’t fail because they can’t build the product. They fail because they build something the market never asked for, or because they can’t convert early interest into paying customers.
This 3-month, cohort-based accelerator, delivered live via Zoom, helps founders build technology, hardware or software, that solves real problems for people with disabilities.
You’ll learn how to test demand before you overinvest in building, and how to turn interest into revenue.
These are the two skills many founders struggle with.
The program centers on a structured curriculum, developed, field tested, and refined over a decade of cohorts. Unlike many other accelerators, this program is not merely a collection of occasional workshops.
In addition to the curriculum, you’ll learn from guest speakers, one-on-one coaching, and mentorship from experienced business and technology leaders.
The program closes with a Pitch Day.
Seed grants for selected startups who satisfactorily complete the program.
You’ll experience a fast-moving, hands-on program led by a technology entrepreneur who has done it himself – and is dedicated to coaching you in a positive, supportive environment.
“Validated my market, reached out to investors, and built the confidence to present my business. I highly recommend this program.”
– Bec Bowman, Founder at EYDL
Igniting Ideas Business Accelerator, Spring 2025 cohort
Entrepreneurs with a deep desire to build technology, hardware or software, that solves real problems for people with disabilities.
Founders with an early idea that they've been actively exploring, or an early-stage product.
Founders who have relevant technical skills themselves, or a co-founder or team member who does.
Entrepreneurs who are coachable; who want to learn and master new concepts, actively participate during training sessions, and deliberately practice new skills between group training sessions.
Founders who are collaborative, who enjoy sharing their weekly progress, and learning from each other, in group learning sessions; and who want the program to showcase their business and breakthroughs publicly.
For founders who are committed and available to participate in an intensive and immersive 3-month program. And committed to taking massive action toward their goals.
This program is not for:
—Founders who are pre-idea stage
—Entrepreneurs who are running businesses with significant customers and revenue, who primarily want to learn how to grow and scale their business.
—Service-based businesses that aren’t building a technology product.
—People who don’t have time to devote to an intensive 3-month program.
Structured weekly curriculum
Seed grants for selected startups who satisfactorily complete the program
Mentorship from experienced tech leaders
One-on-one coaching throughout the program
A network of corporate partners and alumni
Peer support from your cohort
End-of-program Pitch Day
An immersive, invaluable program, at no cost to selected participants
A multi-thousand-dollar value.
Candidates selected for the Disability-Tech Business Accelerator will receive a full scholarship.
“The only thing that matters is getting to product/market fit.”
— Marc Andreessen, co-founder of Netscape
“It’s been my mission over two decades to develop and launch new businesses. And I’ve had the privilege of working with thousands of people with ideas. Along the way, I’ve seen patterns. Patterns of success and patterns of failure. I’m going to teach you the tactics and strategies I’ve learned, so that you can mitigate new business risk, and build and launch your business.” — David Eckoff
David Eckoff specializes in building, launching and scaling industry-changing products and services in organizations from startup to Fortune 500.
He serves as Head of Accelerator and Operations at Synergies Work, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping entrepreneurs with disabilities launch, grow and scale their businesses.
Previously, Eckoff was GM / Corporate Entrepreneur at EmployBridge, leading development of new businesses and products within the $3 billion company.
He served as Entrepreneur-In-Residence at the Comcast NBCUniversal “The Farm” startup accelerator and innovation hub. And he’s coached multiple cohorts at Georgia State University’s Main Street Startup Accelerator.
Eckoff has served in executive roles at Turner Broadcasting as Vice President New Products; at RealNetworks in Seattle, pioneering online sports broadcasting, music, movies and games; and at Rivals.com as Senior Vice President.
He’s co-founded two technology startups, leading small product teams tackling big problems. He led Pickoff Sports from inception to sale.
Eckoff has been retained as a strategic advisor to startups and established companies. He has advised companies including Kleiner Perkins backed Zazzle.com, live interactive broadcasting platform Ustream.TV (acquired by IBM), 3D Virtual World innovator Kaneva, Scientific Games, and more.
He started his first business at age 7, manufacturing and selling craft chocolate.
A recognized product innovation and customer discovery expert, David has guest lectured at the University of North Carolina, and at the University of Valparaíso in Chile.
The next cohort of the Disability-Tech accelerator will be 4Q 2026, start date to be announced. Sign up to be notified when applications go live.
Sign up to be notified when applications go live.
After the application goes live, apply online.
As soon as applications open. Sign up now to be notified the moment they do.
We review applications on a rolling basis, in a competitive selection process, until the cohort fills. Wait too long, and the cohort may already be full. Apply early for first consideration.
If your application is promising, we will invite you to interview with us. Interviews by Zoom. We typically make admissions decisions on an ongoing basis until the cohort is full.
Between 10-15.
Small enough that we can give individual attention to each founder. And everyone in the program gets to know each other.
Large enough that there’s valuable real-life learning that happens as founders learn from each other during weekly founder updates.
This program has a multi-thousand dollar value. Candidates selected for the Disability-Tech Business Accelerator will receive a full scholarship, made possible by The Coca-Cola Foundation.
In short: we’ve observed in previous cohorts that the more you put into the program, the more you’ll get out of it.
During the program, you should plan to attend and actively participate in:
– A scheduled Group Orientation session, live via Zoom (approx 90 minutes), date to be announced.
– 10 weekly live Group Learning sessions, live via Zoom (approx 2-1/2 hours each session); conducted each Tuesday, 12 Noon – 2:30 PM Eastern Time.
– Experiential learning assignments between weekly Group Learning sessions, in which you apply new concepts learned to your business (approx 2-4 hours a week)
– Weekly Practice with Partners sessions, live via Zoom (approx 30 minutes a week, each Monday)
– Expert guest speaker sessions on specialty topics, via Zoom
– Pitch Day at end of program, live via Zoom
We expect founders to commit to working full-time on their business during the program and afterward.
This accelerator program is designed to compliment the work you do on your business. The work you do in the program is designed to help you work smarter and more effectively in your business.
Seed grants made to selected startups are grants.
Not loans. Not equity investments.
The amount of seed grants that will be made to selected startups will be announced soon.
Seed grants will be made to selected startups who satisfactorily complete the program, after the conclusion of the program.
The Disability-Tech Business Accelerator Pitch Day is an online event held at the end of the program. Founders who successfully complete the program will have an opportunity to pitch their business and showcase their progress to a live audience. The event will be open to the public and is designed to celebrate the founders in the program and their breakthroughs. Date to be announced.
Each Tuesday 12 Noon – 2:30 PM Eastern Time. Dates to be announced.
“If you’re not solving a real problem, you can’t start a revolution.”
— Tony Fadell, creator of the iPod and iPhone, founder of Nest
Thank you to The Coca-Cola Foundation for providing anchor funding for the program.
Dates to be announced.
Sign up to be notified when applications go live.
Thank you to The Coca-Cola Foundation for providing anchor funding for the program.
Dates to be announced.
Sign up to be notified when applications go live.
NEXT COHORT · 4Q 2026
Dates to be announced.
