Turn Bold Ideas into Scalable Impact
The Rally Accelerator helps early-stage social ventures grow into sustainable, community-driven solutions. If you're building for impact, we’ll help you get further, faster.
Our Partners
Each year, Rally selects early-stage entrepreneurs who are tackling critical challenges in housing, health, education, the environment, and more. Our 16-week accelerator equips them with mentorship, customized curriculum, peer support, and pilot opportunities in Central Florida.
The Challenge:
You have a mission. A prototype. Maybe even your first customer. But moving from early traction to a viable, scalable venture takes clarity, support, and the right ecosystem.
Why That Matters:
Too many social ventures stall not because of lack of passion, but because of gaps in their business model, social impact strategy, networks, and real-world testing. We close those gaps.
The Rally Accelerator Is The Answer:
We don't just teach theory; we help you implement. Ventures will get access to:
Pilot Opportunities
Access to local partners, municipal systems, and community-led pilot sites in Central Florida.
Bespoke Curriculum:
Tailored to each venture's specific needs—from customer discovery and financial modeling to pitch prep and stakeholder alignment.
Hands-On Coaching.
Weekly founder-level coaching sessions tailored to each venture's priorities and growth trajectory, led by experts who understand the unique challenges of impact-driven startups.
Mentorship & Community
Program Format:
16 weeks. Mostly virtual, with one in-person gathering in Orlando
Peer accountability and access to Rally Makers and alumni who’ve been where you are.
Week 1: Rally ONE - 2-Day Workshop (Virtual)
Week 2: Venture And Social Impact Model Triage (Virtual)
Week 3-8: Weekly Meetup And Check-Ins (Virtual)
Week 9: Rally TWO - 4 Day Workshops And Experiences (Orlando, Florida)
Week 10-12: Weekly Meetup And Check-Ins (Virtual)
Week 13-14: Weekly Check-Ins (Virtual)
Week 16: Rally THREE - Fellow Showcase (Virtual)
Who Should Apply
Rally is looking for founders who are building something that has never been proven at scale — early-stage ventures with an MVP and a hypothesis worth testing in one of the most complex and fast-growing regions in the country.
We welcome for-profits, nonprofits, and hybrid models. What matters is not your legal structure — it is your commitment to solving a real problem for real people in Central Florida. You do not have to be based here. You have to be serious about building here.
If you are a mission-driven founder with a product, approach, or prototype aimed at one of our nine pillars, we want to hear from you.
What We're Looking For
The following are not requirements. They are illustrations — the kinds of frontier problems and approaches that belong in Rally's living laboratory. If your work fits the spirit of what's described here, you may be exactly who we are looking for.
- New models for community-scale water reuse and conservation
- Distributed energy systems that reduce dependence on the grid
- Tools that help municipalities and residents monitor and manage consumption in real time
- Approaches that make renewable energy accessible to low-income households, not just those who can afford the upfront cost
- Solutions that remediate contaminated water sources and improve drinking water quality across the region
- Solutions that reduce dependence on fossil fuels — including better electric vehicle technology, expanded charging infrastructure, and innovations that make the transition to clean transportation accessible to all income levels
- Circular economy ventures that divert organic and construction waste from landfills
- New approaches to urban agriculture and food production that reclaim underused land
- Tools that help municipalities and developers make smarter land use decisions before they build
- Models that turn contaminated or vacant parcels into productive community assets
- Solutions that remediate degraded soils and restore the health of land damaged by development, agriculture, or industrial use
- Last-mile transportation solutions that close the gap between transit and opportunity
- New models for shared mobility in communities that cars have left behind
- Tools that reduce the cost of vehicle ownership for low-income workers
- Platforms that connect residents to jobs, services, and each other without requiring a car
- Solutions that close the digital divide by expanding broadband access and building digital literacy in communities left behind by the connected economy
- New construction methods or materials that reduce the cost of building affordable housing
- Financing models that help working families access homeownership
- Tools that help landlords and tenants navigate the housing market more fairly
- Innovations that stabilize communities at risk of displacement before it happens
- Innovations that create pathways from housing instability to permanent housing for individuals and families experiencing homelessness
- Models that build long-term wealth through homeownership, community land trusts, and shared equity approaches in communities that have historically been locked out
- Community-based health models that meet people where they are — in their neighborhoods, not just in clinics
- Tools that address the social determinants of health: food access, housing stability, transportation, social connection
- Mental health platforms built for communities underserved by traditional care
- Innovations that close the gap between health insurance coverage and actual healthcare access
- Solutions that accelerate the delivery of care through mobile health units, virtual care platforms, drone-delivered medical supplies, and other innovations that collapse the distance between people and the treatment they need
- New pathways from early literacy to career readiness that don't rely on a four-year degree as the only on-ramp
- Tools that help employers identify and develop talent they currently overlook
- Models that connect students to real-world work experience inside the region's fastest-growing industries
- Innovations that make high-quality early childhood education accessible regardless of zip code
- Tools and programs that help working adults reskill and navigate career transitions in an economy being rapidly reshaped by automation and AI
- Platforms that make it easier for residents to participate in the decisions that shape their communities
- Tools that help local governments hear from the people they most often miss
- New models for civic education that meet people where they are
- Innovations that build the kind of trust between institutions and communities that makes everything else possible
- New approaches to designing public spaces that center dignity and belonging, not just aesthetics
- Tools that help communities advocate for the parks, sidewalks, and gathering spaces they deserve
- Models that reduce pedestrian danger without simply moving the problem elsewhere
- Innovations that help neighborhoods shape their own development before displacement takes hold
- Approaches that use environmental design, community presence, and neighborhood investment to reduce crime and build safety from the ground up in disinvested communities
- New business models that generate wealth for the workers who build them, not just the investors who fund them
- Tools that help small and minority-owned businesses access capital, contracts, and customers
- Platforms that connect Central Florida's hospitality and service workforce to better-paying career pathways
- Innovations that build economic resilience at the neighborhood level, not just the regional one
- Innovations that lower the barriers to entrepreneurship and small business formation in communities that have historically lacked access to capital, networks, and markets
Real Ventures. Real Impact.
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“Thanks to Rally, our venture is now piloting with the City of Orlando. The program helped us articulate the housing problem we solve, refine our go-to-market strategy, and build the right connections to move from invention to implementation.”
Joshua Footman, Co-Founder of Block N’ Lock
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“Through the Rally network, we secured the venture backing we needed to grow—and ultimately sold our company to DreamBox. What started as a bold idea in Nova Scotia became a globally scaled literacy platform. Rally believed in our vision before the rest of the world caught on.”
Julia Rivard Dexter, Founder, Squiggle Park and Dreamscape
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![Samuel Baker, WriggleBrew]()
“Before Rally, we had a great product. After Rally, we had a real business. Their coaching helped us double our revenue, land our first commercial client, and validate that sustainability doesn’t have to smell bad—or be out of reach for everyday gardeners.”
Samuel Baker, Co-Founder of WriggleBrew
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“Not only did we secure a partnership with Crayola, but we also landed meetings with LegoLand, Universal, and the Orlando Magic. Rally gave us the momentum—and the credibility—we needed to break into major markets.”
Julia Denay, Founder, Sense-sational You
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“Through Rally, I learned how to communicate the full environmental and economic impact of our recycled lighting systems. Their support fast-tracked our pilot with the City of Orlando and helped us sharpen our vision for scale.”
Joseph Genovesi, Founder of Genovesi Innovations
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“Rally gave me the tools and relationships to take Archor from a prototype to a viable emergency response solution. Their focus on local relevance and systems thinking helped us shape our technology for real impact in the communities that need it most.”
Gordon Folkes, Founder of Archor Response
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“Rally provided strategic coaching that helped us align our home paramedicine model with value-based care goals. We walked away with a refined narrative, a stronger partnership strategy, and new contracts that directly improve patient outcomes.”
Ken Peach, Executive Director of Care-A-Medix
Ready to Build What’s Next?
WINTER 2026 APPLICATION PROCESS AND TIMELINE
Our application timeline is subject to change therefore, please review our up-to-date application timeline below. Additionally, we will always announce date and other need-to-know information changes via emails to candidates.
Applications Period - February 27 to May 8, 2026
Interview Invites- June 8, 2026
Fellowship Invitation - June 23, 2026
Program Start - July 20, 2026
Program End - November 3, 2026
If you’re ready to scale your mission and test your solution in the real world, then Rally is the right place for you.
Applications for the Rally Accelerator open twice a year. If you're ready to apply, submit your Fellowship application. Want to stay informed? Join our newsletter to get updates and early access.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost?
The program is free for accepted ventures, thanks to support from Rally Makers and regional partners.
Do I have to be based in Central Florida?
No. We welcome ventures from anywhere, as long as your solution addresses Central Florida's regional priorities and you're committed to testing, piloting, or scaling here.
What stage should I be in?
You should have at least a prototype or early traction; this program is not for idea-stage ventures.
What kinds of ventures get accepted?
We welcome nonprofit, for-profit, and hybrid models tackling regional challenges with scalable, systems-minded solutions.
What Are Rallys?
Rallys are a mandatory part of the program and are designed to provide fellows with in-depth business and social impact model development, learning and experience opportunities, group fellowship, and one-on-one discussions with other fellows, staff, and mentors.
Rally ONE:
Format: Virtual
Focus: Program Kickoff and Workshops
Day 1: New Cohort Welcome, Theory of Change Workshop, and Venture Presentations
Day 2: Social Lean Canvas Model Workshop
Rally TWO:
Format: In-Person (Orlando, Florida)
Focus: Workshops & Experiences
Day 1: Theory of Change Workshop, Experience Activities, and Presentations
Day 2: Social Lean Canvas Model Workshop, Experience Activities, and Presentations
Day 3: Experience Activities and One-On-One Meetings
Rally THREE:
Format: Virtual
Focus: Program Closing and Fellow Showcase (2 Hours)
Fellows will present their ventures to Rally stakeholders, impact investors and granters, corporate, municipal, and nonprofit partners, and the community at large.
Does Rally provide travel and accommodation support for Rally TWO?
For non-local Fellows (individuals living outside Central Florida), we purchase airline or train fares for travel into and out of Orlando. Additionally, Rally provides all Fellows with housing and a daily per diem.