Two-year grant enables small business owners to implement technology solutions and scale operations

MOBILE, Ala. (October 17, 2025) – The Regions Foundation has awarded a $200,000 grant to Innovation Portal’s TechAcademy program, ensuring two years of technology implementation support for small business owners across the Gulf Coast. The partnership addresses a critical challenge facing local entrepreneurs: knowing which technology tools will actually help their businesses grow.

When Tyrone Pettway started his construction company, Kingdom Renovation and Construction, he was managing everything with pen and paper—estimates, crew schedules, materials orders, and client communications. Like many small business owners, he knew technology could help but didn’t know where to start or what would work for his specific needs.

After completing TechAcademy in 2024, Pettway transformed his business. He now has documented training manuals for every process, a strategic growth plan, and is launching a tiny homes project through his nonprofit that combines workforce development with affordable housing solutions.

“I’m techie enough to know there’s an app,” Pettway says. “But TechAcademy taught me which apps actually matter for my business.”

Strategic Investment in Small Business Technology
“We are happy to continue our support of Innovation Portal. Their incredible work helps ensure that more businesses across the Gulf Coast have access to the tools and knowledge that facilitates more opportunity,” said Marta Self, Regions Foundation Executive Director. “By supporting the TechAcademy program, we’re helping to create stepping stones for success. The ripple effect reaches not just entrepreneurs, but also their employees, families, and community.”

The Regions Foundation grant represents a strategic investment in the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, funding both the current 2025 cohort and the 2026 program year.

“This partnership with Regions Foundation means we can keep doing what works,” says Nick Hampton, Programs Director at Innovation Portal. “Local business owners are already doing everything—they’re the CEO, the marketing department, the IT person, and usually the janitor too. TechAcademy doesn’t just throw technology at them. We help them figure out what’s actually going to move the needle.”

From Stuck to Scaling: 2025 Cohort
This year’s six TechAcademy participants represent diverse industries facing similar technology challenges—from workforce development to healthcare staffing, beauty education to fine jewelry, mental health services to barber academies. Each entered the program knowing they needed technology but unsure which solutions would actually help their business.

Since the cohort launched, they’ve mapped their operations, identified bottlenecks, researched solutions, and implemented real technology systems. Participants choose a small project during the program for immediate implementation, then pitch for up to $5,000 in funding at graduation.

The transformation stories span industries: a staffing company streamlining healthcare placements, a nonprofit scaling mental health literacy education, a barber academy launching hybrid learning, a salon implementing comprehensive booking systems, a jewelry company building legacy through modern technology, and a workforce development organization creating pathways for young parents.

See the Results Live: November 11 Showcase
The public is invited to witness these business transformations firsthand at the 2025 Portal Program Showcase:

Tuesday, November 11, 2025

The free event will feature:

• Live technology demonstrations from TechAcademy participants

• Pitch presentations competing for up to $5,000 in implementation funding

• Business acceleration stories from gBETA Gulf Coast program participants

• Networking with Mobile’s entrepreneurial community

Register free at https://dub.link/portalshowcase2025

Building Long-Term Impact
The eight-week TechAcademy program guides entrepreneurs through a systematic process: document current operations, identify the biggest pain points, research practical solutions, and implement technology that works for them. The hands-on approach means participants don’t just learn about technology—they leave with working systems.

“The process mapping exercise alone changed everything,” Pettway recalls. “I could see exactly where I was wasting time and where I needed help. That became my training manual for new employees. I went from having everything in my head to having systems anyone could follow.”

For Pettway, the impact now extends beyond his construction business. His nonprofit work includes teaching construction skills to at-risk youth while building affordable tiny homes—combining the process documentation and project management skills he developed in TechAcademy with his passion for community transformation.

“If you’re a business owner and you feel like you’re drowning in the day-to-day stuff, or if you know technology could help but you don’t know where to start—this program is for you,” Hampton says. “And thanks to Regions Foundation, we can keep helping entrepreneurs make that leap.”

The Regions Foundation grant ensures TechAcademy will continue serving Gulf Coast entrepreneurs through 2026, with applications for the next cohort opening in summer 2026.

Join us November 11 to see what’s possible when entrepreneurs get the right technology support. Register at https://dub.link/portalshowcase2025