The event is hosted in collaboration with the Mississippi AI Collaborative and the Jackson State University Innovation Center. The accelerator supports entrepreneurs, startups, and small business owners by integrating artificial intelligence tools into practical, real-world business models. The program emphasizes turning ideas into structured plans through guided instruction in AI integration, operations, and growth strategy.

Dr. Antwon Woods, dean of the School of Business, will serve as the guest speaker. A transformative leader with over 15 years of experience in higher education, Woods holds a doctorate in urban higher education from Jackson State University and completed the Senior Executive Leadership Programme at the University of Oxford.

Participants who successfully complete the final business proposal will graduate and receive professional branding support. The businesses and entrepreneurs enrolled in the 2025 Cohort II include:

• Cedric Gilmer, Gilmer Grooming Services, LLC
• Fredrick Hickmon, Hickmon Enterprises
• Madison Archer, Madison Archer
• Alvin Taylor, Tailored Professionals
• Tiffany Jones, Butta Scrubs, LLC
• Kendrick Winkfield, student ambassador
• LaKetter Cannon, Cannon Solutions
• Dandra Price, The Lotus Brand, LLC
• Amber Sanders, Amber Sanders @The Salon, LLC
• Destinee King, Bodiedbydes
• Candace Jackson, Be Well
• Sheila Barnes, GRACE HOME CARE LLC
• Andrea Thomas, Go Be Smart Studio
• Mary Williams, Prep4Success
• Quintin Smith, Supreme Realty and Appraisals Inc.
• Garry Brown, The Patton House and Gallery
• Tracy Daniel-Hardy, Senior Academy of Technology and Continuing Education

For more information, contact Jarita Frazier King, director of the Mississippi Small Business Development Center at Alcorn State University, at 601-807-1008 or jfking@alcorn.edu.

Source: Alcorn State University