991 Jane Veron: The Acceleration Project

Bringing Wall St to Main St to Accelerate Small Business Success

Less than 3% of women-led businesses make it to $1 million in annual revenue, even though women are now founding the lion’s share of new businesses. 

For almost a thousand episodes now on Wings of Inspired Business podcast for nearly a decade, we’ve talked at length about all the structural and societal obstacles that stand in the way of women founders, and Jane Veron is on a mission to do something about that.

Jane is the co-founder and CEO of the non-profit, The Acceleration Project, empowering small business owners and accelerating their growth and wealth creation with bespoke advisory services. 

The former mayor of Scarsdale New York and a former executive at American Express and Bain & Company, Jane has built The Acceleration Project (TAP) into a movement, helping some 11,300 under-resourced small business in the past 14 years with high-caliber, customized pro bono consulting in strategy, finance, operations, and marketing so they can build assets, income, jobs, and wealth. 

Jane’s success speaks for itself: An analysis by The Bridgespan Group last year determined that TAP delivers a 10-to-1 social return on investment – meaning every dollar invested in TAP generates ten dollars in economic value through revenue growth, job creation, and local economic recirculation.

Jane, who also serves on the Investment Capital Advisory Committee (ICAC) of the U.S. Small Business Administration as well as chairing the Congressional Task Force on Jobs & the Economy, is particularly focused on helping women founders build resilience. She says, “mindset creates momentum; resilience requires asking for help; data and discipline turn effort into results; innovation keeps resilience alive; compassion transforms listening into action.”

Today we discuss the challenges and triumphs of small business owners—especially women and under-resourced entrepreneurs. In particular, how to thrive through uncertainty and disruption, from inflation and tariffs to AI, plus how to harness the untapped expertise of women professionals re-entering the workforce. TAP offers everything from financial education to deep-dive consulting—empowering small businesses to build economic independence and scale past the million-dollar mark. Jane shares practical tips on how to harness networks and resources, navigate pricing and predatory loans, and why embracing imperfection and relationships is key to success.

More about Jane Veron at www.dionapp.com

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More about Jane at The Acceleration Project

Jane Veron is co-founder and CEO of The Acceleration Project (TAP), a nonprofit that empowers small business owners and accelerates their growth through bespoke advisory services, generating a ripple effect that unlocks pathways to wealth creation and economic mobility. Jane has held strategy and marketing positions at Bain & Company and American Express. She is a dedicated public servant, having previously served on the Scarsdale Village Board and as Mayor of Scarsdale, New York. She was appointed to the Investment Capital Advisory Committee (ICAC) of the U.S. Small Business Administration and now chairs the Congressional Task Force on Jobs & the Economy.

Register with TAP for a complimentary 1:1 coaching session at https://www.theaccelerationproject.org/

 

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