This week, The Shop at the CAC was proud to serve as the home base for the kickoff of VILLAGEx 2026, Idea Village’s industry-leading, mentor-driven accelerator for venture-scale startups ready to grow.

VILLAGEx is designed for founders on the path to raising at least $1 million within the next 24 months. Over a focused four-month program, a highly selective cohort of startups commits to the hard work of scaling — sharpening strategy, strengthening leadership, and building the systems needed for long-term growth. The program pairs founders with executive-level mentors, startup experts, and business leaders from across industries and around the globe, creating access to the insight, accountability, and connections needed to move faster and smarter.

Kickoff week marked the beginning of that journey for the 2026 cohort, and the energy in the room was undeniable. Throughout the week, founders engaged in deep programming centered on fundraising, fully stepping into the CEO role, hiring and team building, KPI development, goal setting, and long-term planning. Just as importantly, they met the mentors who will walk alongside them over the next four months — relationships that will challenge assumptions, refine vision, and help turn ambitious ideas into scalable companies.

Watching these founders collaborate, ask hard questions, and lean into growth reminded us why The Shop exists. Our space was built to support bold thinkers, meaningful work, and the kind of community that accelerates progress. Hosting VILLAGEx kickoff was a powerful example of what happens when founders, mentors, and partners come together with a shared commitment to building the future of the Gulf South’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who made kickoff week possible — from mentors and facilitators to the behind-the-scenes team that helped bring it all together. It truly takes a village, and this one showed up.

VILLAGEx 2026 is now officially underway. The next application period for VILLAGEx will open in October 2026. If you’re a founder with big goals and a venture-scale vision, we encourage you to keep an eye out — and in the meantime, stop by The Shop at the CAC to experience the community that helps ideas grow.