About Desha Elliott
Scholar-Practioner
Across 20+ years, as a scholar-practicioner — bringing resources, visibility, and opportunity to institutions that need them most.
Economic Development & Finance
In Economic Development & Finance, I’ve advised more than 5k small businesses, raised over $2M for local programs, and structured $10M+ in debt capital for marginalized entrepreneurs. My work includes creating the premiere Farmer Accelerator with Cargill, raising $3M from national retailers, founding a start-up changing the educational outcome for student athletes, and designing a 10-city, $100M FIFA World Cup supplier readiness initiative. I’ve led research on guaranteed income pilots, access-to-capital studies, business accelerators, and designed lending products for food & beverage entrepreneurs.
Career Highlights
- Raised $2M for community-based programs and $3M from major retailers.
- Advised 5000+ businesses and structured $10M+ in capital access for underserved entrepreneurs.
- Created Agribusiness Farmer Accelerator in partnership with Cargill.
- Developed premier national research on entrepreneurs of color, producing groundbreaking studies on access to capital and business acceleration.
- Designed lending products and accelerator curriculum for food & beverage and a 10-city, $100M FIFA World Cup small business readiness program.
- Entrepreneurial journey included created an award winning edutech app, Editor-in-Chief for nationally distributed magazine on entrepreneurship & education, consulting tax franchisees.