Novella Center for Entrepreneurship by Conscious Venture Lab, Inc. (Novella Center), has launched in Trenton, New Jersey, licensing Conscious Venture Lab’s internationally acclaimed business accelerator curriculum to empower diverse entrepreneurs statewide with cutting-edge training in Stakeholder Theory and Conscious Capitalism.
Novella Center is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit enterprise, located and operating in Baltimore, Maryland, and Trenton, New Jersey. Novella Center provides training and mentorship programs at-no-cost-to-participants to spur economic growth and the development of businesses. Eighty percent of program participants have been women or minority founders.
The Novella Center has received a grant from Trenton’s CLFRF funds to establish its Conscious Venture Lab Accelerator Program in the City of Trenton. The program will support diverse entrepreneurs from across New Jersey, including Trenton, through two 12-week cohorts, conducted in consecutive years.
“We are truly grateful that the Novella Center has chosen Trenton as the next location for their Accelerator Program,” said Trenton Mayor W. Reed Gusciora. “This venture will bring tremendous opportunity to Trenton’s entrepreneurial ecosystem—our local entrepreneurs will have the chance to connect with networks and gain access to world-class mentorship. It’s a strong vote of confidence in the talent and potential we have in Trenton.”
Leveraging more than a decade of expertise from the Conscious Venture Lab’s work, the Novella Center is bringing the accelerator program to the City of Trenton to teach entrepreneurs, early-stage founders, and CEOs the tenets of Stakeholder Theory and Conscious Capitalism. It creates startup accelerator programs in under-estimated cities and communities around the U.S. to help diverse entrepreneurs build innovative solutions to problems of equity, access, safety, and human flourishing. By mentoring and supporting founders with big ideas that others have overlooked or neglected, Novella Center will help create pathways to generational wealth and improved societal outcomes.
Novella Center believes talent, intelligence, and potential are equally present in all corners of our society and in people of every background. Unleashing those talents, wherever they may be found, can provide economic opportunities in places where a link exists between poor economic prospects and everything from mental health, food insecurity, life expectancy and the prevalence of violence in communities.
Using the Conscious Venture Lab Accelerator Program model, Novella Center will select participants from a pool of applicants based on several factors, including growth potential, social impact, and scalability. Once selected, cohort members complete a 14-week training and mentoring program that covers personal leadership, stakeholder theories, business development, and preparation for investment presentations.
“We are at a pivotal social point where we are collectively rethinking our relationship with businesses,” said Jeff Cherry, founder of Conscious Venture Lab and the Novella Center. “Customers and business partners are carefully considering their purchasing behavior, their workplaces’ commitments, and where they invest their money, based on both financial value and social impact.”
Novella Center is not an investor organization, focusing instead on helping founders set and reach goals, preparing them for venture capital investments, and providing access to future investment opportunities.
“There is a massive opportunity, especially for minority- and women-owned businesses, for venture capital investment,” said Cherry. “Novella Center will teach entrepreneurs how to develop and connect with these opportunities.”
Applications for the Conscious Venture Lab Accelerator Trenton’s first Trenton cohort are open until July 25, 2025. World-class companies using technology to break down barriers to access and create a more equitable society are invited to apply here for training, mentorship, networking, office space (for local companies), and many other perks and benefits. The 14-week program is scheduled to begin in October 2025. The Novella Center is hosting several information sessions for interested entrepreneurs, mentors, supporters, investors, and the overall ecosystem. Learn more here.
About The Novella Center for Entrepreneurship
The Novella Center for Entrepreneurship (“Novella Center”) is a not-for-profit corporation with 501(c)(3) status. Leveraging a decade of learning from our work at the Conscious Venture Lab Accelerator Program, Novella Center creates partnerships and programming to train entrepreneurs how to build companies that matter. We expose entrepreneurs, early-stage founders and CEOs to the tenets of Stakeholder Theory and Conscious Capitalism, showing them how managing a business for all of its stakeholders creates both societal and financial value.
About the City of Trenton
Trenton is the capital of the state of New Jersey, situated along the Delaware River. It plays a key role in American History, being the site of the historic 1777 Battle of Trenton, a turning point in the American Revolution. As the state capital, Trenton is home to numerous historical sites such as the New Jersey State House, the Old Barracks Museum, the New Jersey State Museum, and many others. The City of Trenton is committed to governing the people of Trenton with integrity, fiscal responsibility, and a focus on enhancing the quality of life throughout the City.