Inner Circles

 "ACE NextGen’s Inner Circles Program introduced me to a group of entrepreneurs who I now talk to on a near daily basis. Through my chats with them, I feel seen, heard, and understood. We’re constantly swapping ideas and experiences, and our deep dive conversations have generated so much of what I’ve implemented within my own company."

Angela Chang - KCAL Insurance Agency, Chief-Strategy Officer

“Inner Circles does a great job of creating a safe space and creating space for people to share, to be vulnerable, and to protect their confidentiality. The return on the investment in this program is worth multiples, so there are a lot of great reasons to join Inner Circles. This program is ultimately right for someone who wants to find growth in their business and in their personal lives, and through that growth, create meaningful lifelong relationships."

Ryan Villanueva - Best Delegate, Co-Founder

"I'm into my second year with Inner Circles and I'm really grateful to continue growing with them. The 2022 Inner Circles Retreat has been two whole days of really being able to reflect and also bond with fellow AAPI entrepreneurs, which is something that's really important to me in building this community. It was a lot of time to focus on self reflection – where do I want to be, not just in my professional goals, but my personal goals. It was really meaningful for me. Being able to do this in a group setting was a little terrifying, but I think it was really rewarding. "

Tina Wong - Grace + Ivory, CEO

Intake Period Status:

Applications Open

Inner Circle Placements

When applying, indicate your top 2 choices. Participants will be personally placed and matched according to interests and goals, so please share as much information as possible on your application.

Dragon Scales 🐉

Ready to scale your business in the year of the Dragon? Founders and CEOs of start-ups sharing wins and challenges faced with business expansion, leading or building a unified team, and creating certainty from uncertainty to bring a vision to life


Stage: Accelerator
Meets Virtually
Moderated by Brendan Wang

Read more about Brendan

Whole Body Business 🪷

For AAPI Women Solopreneurs & Service-Based Business Owners in the holistic wellness and coaching industry looking to build their brand and business in a way that honors their unique gifts, voice and pace. This group is for you if you prioritize both personal well-being and professional success, with an emphasis on sustainable growth strategies and whole-body intelligence (mental, emotional, physical, spiritual).


Stage: ✨Incubator ✨
Meets Virtually
Moderated by Andrea Maeng and Cassandra Lam
Click to read more about Andrea and Cassandra

4% Club 🏡

Only 4% of businesses ever hit $1M in annual revenues. This Inner Circle is for Start-ups and businesses led by owners with or expecting children. Topics include sales growth, team culture, SOPs, and work-family balance.



Stage: Accelerator/Established
Meets Virtually
Moderated by Don Ho

Read more about Don

Titans of Tomorrow 🌃

Are you ready to scale your business to new heights? We are a group of driven entrepreneurs who are not afraid of hard work to achieve our goals. We discuss marketing, sales, hiring, personal and business mindset, and more. We share our best practices, strategies, and hold each other accountable to help each other grow our business empire!

Stage: Accelerator/Established
Meets Virtually
Moderated by Daniel Gouw
Read more about Daniel

7 figures and Beyond 👏

Small business owners that are looking to scale business operations, strengthen their brand and build a high performance culture in the process. Increase your confidence as a leader and find the tools/times to create a business with family, impact, and freedom in mind.


Stage: Accelerator/Established
Meets Virtually
Moderated by Rico Nasol
Read more about Rico

Elevate Your Presence⬆️

For busy entrepreneurs and CEOs eager to amplify their presence online and make a larger impact. Discover how to leverage your unique identity to build a personal brand – one that inspires, increases sales, and open doors to new opportunities. Together, we’ll develop clarity in your narrative, intentions, and communication so that your online presence resonates in both your personal and professional circles.

Stage: Accelerator
Meets Virtually
Moderated by Joanne V
Read more about Joanne

ACE 🙌
(Accelerating Chicago Entrepreneurs)

A collective of Chicago-based service businesses, with six-figure revenues aiming to expand to seven figures and beyond. This Inner Circle is an accelerator to share and apply proven business practices to overcoming business roadblocks.

Stage: Accelerator
Meets Virtually
Moderated by Michael Van
Read more about Michael

Family Matters 👪🏻

Family businesses, predominantly high networth, focusing on topics such as taxes, estate planning, succession planning, exit planning, hiring of non-family employees, and how to deal with family relationships.

Stage: Established
Meets Virtually

Not accepting Applications

Houston ⭐

A mix of locally-based Houston, TX businesses such as Food & Beverage and Professional Services solving personal and business challenges.


Stage: Accelerator
Meets In-Person
Moderated by Ian So

Not accepting Applications

Moonshot 🚀

Start-ups and businesses looking to grow at least 2x revenue within a short period. Fast paced and high growth group tackling significant challenges. Common topics relate to hiring, fundraising, sales, and negotiation.

Stage: Accelerator
Meets Virtually
Moderated by Le Zhang

Not accepting Applications

Driven to elevate your business?

If you are an ACE NextGen member and business owner who is actively looking to grow your business, we would like to invite you to apply to our exclusive Inner Circles Program!

Ideal Candidates Are…

  • Open to a paid program focused on solving significant business challenges

  • Committed to attending 2 hour long monthly moderated meetings

  • Enthusiastic about engaging in self-development, accountability, and mastermind sessions within curated groups of 7-8 individuals

  • Eager to cultivate profound relationships with fellow members

  • Able to contribute unique value-adds and perspectives to their group

Running A Business Is Easier When You Have A Community Behind You.

See below to check out if there’s an Inner Circle for you!

2022 Inner Circles Retreat Video Recap

The exclusive Inner Circles member-only 3-day retreat in Napa, California, was an unforgettable experience. Being a part of Inner Circles gives you access to future exclusive events!

Getting Started

The Process

  1. Apply by filling out the form . Please indicate your preferred choice of Inner Circle.

  2. If accepted, you will be matched with and placed into an Inner Circle. Groups are filled on a first come, first served basis.

Revenue Stages and Pricing

INCUBATOR

Your business does under $100k. You’re building product-market fit and want to continue growing in sales. You want to turn a small business, startup, or side hustle into something bigger, and need a peer group instead of doing it alone.

ACCELERATOR

Your business does between $100k-$1M. You’re needing to grow your business in a structured way rather than by working harder. You need to apply the essentials of strategy, people, finance, marketing, and execution to scale your business.

ESTABLISHED

Your business does between $1M-$10M or higher. Your goal is to take an established business to high growth (scaling up, fundraising, merges and acquisitions, exit plan), and/or to create the foundations for freedom, automation, or succession.

Inner Circles- Incubator

$1125
for 2024, 9 month period

Revenue Stage: Under $100k

Inner Circles- Accelerator

$1350
for 2024, 9 month period

Revenue Stage: $100k- $1m

Inner Circles- Established

$1575
for 2024, 9 month period

Revenue Stage: $1m- $10m

PAST INNER CIRCLES:

41

 Total Members

6 - 8

Group Sizes

750,000

$ Median Revenue Range

1 - 400

Employee Size

$100k - $50M+

Revenue Range

  • Food & Beverage

  • eCommerce

  • Retail, Manufacturing

  • Web3, Medtech

  • Education

  • Real Estate

  • Arts

INDUSTRIES

  • Insurance

  • Consulting

  • Marketing

  • Staffing

  • Legal

  • Accounting

  • And more!

FAQs

  • When does the 2024 cohort begin?

    Applications are being taken on a rolling basis and cohort will be announced based on interest

    What’s the minimum length commitment?
    The commitment is for the full 9 months. No refunds.

    When do Circles add new members?
    In 2025, unless there is a spot open and the group is aligned to a new member.

    How are meetings scheduled?
    Scheduled within your group and for the entire 9 month duration.

    What if I need to reschedule?
    You can request to move a date, and are responsible for getting entire group to agree to that date, otherwise existing date stays.

    What happens if you’re late or leave early, or miss a meeting?
    Please be on time. If you miss a meeting, you’ll be responsible for tracking your own progress that month. Groups may decide on any other extra steps on how to handle (example: a fine)

    What happens if you miss two meetings?
    You may be asked to leave a Circle

  • What am I expected to do?
    Commit to attending meeting, be fully present at the meeting. Help the moderator out with a role (e.g. timekeeper, Personal Action Plan tracker, etc.)

    This group is an investment in your business and leadership, and depends on your full participation. If approved you will receive a rules/guidelines for your Inner Circles gatherings

  • Andrea Maeng, Inner Circles Program Manager
    andrea@acenextgen.org

Inner Circles is not for you?

Check out our other ACE NextGen programs, and if you're aware of individuals who would bring value as participants within Inner Circles, we encourage you to refer them to us to support growing our community!