Business accelerator Ignite received a $7,500 boost from the Green family this week.

A spokesman for the Greens, who own the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club, said the donation will support Ignite’s mission to support and build a local community of entrepreneurs.

“Ignite provides a wonderful foundation for those with incredible ideas, empowering them to succeed and we are pleased to do our bit to support the entrepreneurial spirit and culture in Bermuda,” Andrew Green said.

Ignite chairman Don MacKenzie said they were excited by the donation.

“Ignite is excited that the Green family is supporting our mission to create jobs in this challenging economy, to diversify the business sectors and to address the issue of opportunity inequality in Bermuda,” Mr Mackenzie said. “Their support for Ignite is consistent with Green’s ongoing and significant corporate and philanthropic investment in Bermuda.”

As part of its mission, Ignite runs a five-month educational initiative known as the Accelerator Programme, which includes a two-day boot camp, one on one mentorships, workshops and more. As part of the programme, entrepreneurs can take advantage of a modern office space in the heart of Hamilton at Ignite’s hub, complete with meeting spaces.

Ignite is powered by Entrepreneurial Spark, a proven approach that combines bespoke start up and growth coaching with a development programme that concentrates taking action as an entrepreneur rather than just learning about it.

Ignite takes in about 70 entrepreneurs a year. They have continued through the pandemic, with much of the programme shifting online, although they hope the newest intake will be able to have all the participants on site again. The organisation plans to support 400 companies over a five-year period, helping to encourage a boom in small businesses and entrepreneurship on island.