A joint project of NCIFund and The National Institute of Minority Economic Development
NCIFund is partnering with The National Institute of Minority Economic Development to offer ENCEP, an intensive virtual incubator program for promising small businesses owned by women (“WBEs”) and people of color (“MBEs”) located in underserved Eastern North Carolina counties. 
Funding for ENCEP comes from NC IDEA FOUNDATION. NCIFund and The Institute are members of the Foundation’s statewide network of Ecosystem Partners.
The first cohort of 15 ENCEP companies will launch in July 2021. Applications will be available in March/April 2021.
Who’s eligible?
ENCEP participants will have these characteristics:
- Annual revenues of $250,000 or less
- The potential to grow to employ more than 50 people and/or generate revenues greater than $1M over a 5-year period
- At least 75% will be owned by women or people of color
- At least 75% will be located in economically distressed Eastern NC counties, designated as Tier 1 or Tier 2 by the NC Department of Commerce. 33 of the 38 counties east of Interstate 95 are Tier 1 or 2.
What will ENCEP deliver?
- Companies will attend a series of virtual workshops designed especially for their needs in the areas of e-commerce and digital marketing; financial management; procurement; and managing growth
- A mentor will be identified to work with each entrepreneur
- Participating companies will receive 1:1 coaching and targeted strategic advisory services
- ENCEP will facilitate access to sources of capital
- The company named as “Most Likely to Scale” will receive a $10,000 grant
Who will lead the ENCEP cohort? 
Dionne McGee, an experienced facilitator and entrepreneur, will lead ENCEP as Cohort Director. Dionne has a passion for providing professional development and helping individuals and organizations find their road to success. As a native of Washington, NC, she's excited to lead ENCEP’s work with diverse entrepreneurs as they add energy to the eastern NC economy. Dionne is a professional, speaker, author, and entrepreneur, and the founder of DG McGee Enterprises. Prior to launching her business, she held executive roles in corporate America, where she led sales organizations. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Garner Chamber of Commerce as well as the Women's Business Center of NC. She's a certified Project Manager and Ice House Facilitator. Dionne earned her B.A. from North Carolina Wesleyan, accompanied by a host of certifications.
Dionne is Relentless. Optimistic. Ambitious and Results Driven. She ROARs and wants you to as well!
For more information: Please contact Dionne McGee at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
