In a world that too often confuses profit with purpose, Starsheema Chapman is carving out a lane where both can not only coexist—but thrive. Hers is a mission rooted in dignity, driven by lived experience, and charged with a purpose that echoes through every community she touches.

“I came from public housing. I didn’t have a trust fund, a Rolodex, or a roadmap—but I had a knowing,” Chapman tells me, her voice steady, resolute. “I knew I wanted more, and I wanted to bring people with me.”

That conviction led to the creation of Star The Accelerator, a business that’s more liberation blueprint than startup course. Alongside her husband, Star also co-founded First Choice Care, a thriving home care agency in Kinston, North Carolina. But let’s be clear—this isn’t just about entrepreneurship. This is about emancipation.

“When you build something for your people, you’re not just breaking cycles—you’re building altars.”

Star’s course doesn’t just teach clients how to start businesses—it teaches them how to reclaim their time, their finances, and their futures. From navigating EINs and licensing to mastering Medicaid billing and team training, she’s holding doors open and handing out keys.

“Mentorship saved me,” she says. “And now I do the same. I’m not gatekeeping, I’m giving game.”

That game includes a full A-to-Z playbook: client intake systems, staff policy manuals, and even branding and marketing strategies. The goal? To fast-track success for women and men who, like Star, weren’t born into access but were called to impact.

And Star doesn’t disappear once the check clears. Her alumni know her by name, and many still call her years after they’ve launched—some now earning six figures, thanks to her guidance.

“We don’t toss you to the wolves. We walk with you,” she insists.

This model of communal success isn’t just good business—it’s radical in a world built on individualism. It’s James Baldwin in motion: “You have to go the way your blood beats.” And for Star, that rhythm has always led back to community.

From back-to-school drives to HBCU scholarships, from food banks to future children’s books for foster youth, the Chapmans’ commitment is comprehensive. Their forthcoming series—The Brotherhood and Sisterhood of the Traveling Suitcases—is a love letter to foster children who deserve more than a trash bag to carry their belongings.

This is the work of people who see, who feel, and who act.

“It’s one thing to survive the system. It’s another to rebuild it for others. That’s the Star Accelerator difference.”

—a sentiment worthy of Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s unapologetic truth-telling.

Looking forward, Star has her eyes on franchising First Choice Care, turning it into a plug-and-play model that helps others leap over the hurdles she once faced. Education programs, policy updates, and private-pay expansions are all in the pipeline, proving once again: she’s not just responding to the moment—she’s shaping it.

“I’m building something bigger than me,” she says. “Because when you empower one, you empower many.”

Follow the movement: @StartheAccelerator

Enroll or learn more: www.startheaccelerator.com