Obi Ibeto Named Q3 Finalist in Founders First CDC's Supplier Innovative Finance Program

Fall 2026: ShieldForce Founder Advances into the FastPath Accelerator Cohort

Obi Ibeto, Founder and CEO of ShieldForce Corporation, has been named a finalist in Founders First CDC's Q3 2026 Supplier Innovative Finance Program (SIFP) and subsequently accepted into the organization's Fall 2026 FastPath cohort — a business expansion accelerator reserved for diverse founder-led companies.

About the Supplier Innovative Finance Program

SIFP is administered by Founders First CDC in support of the equitable rollout of the U.S. Treasury's $10 billion State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). Each quarter, the program selects eight certified suppliers for a $5,000 unrestricted grant, a scholarship toward further coaching or accelerator programs, and capital readiness training covering financial positioning, margins, capital structure, and what funders evaluate before investing.

Eligibility requires an active small business certification — such as MBE, WBE, DBE, DVBE, VOSB, LGBTBE, or SBA certification, or being in the process of obtaining one — headquarters in a participating state, a B2B or B2G business model, and annual revenue between $250,000 and $10 million. Suppliers who complete the readiness steps can also be introduced to lenders matched to their revenue size, growth stage, and capital needs.

From SIFP Finalist to FastPath Cohort

Being named a Q3 SIFP finalist opened the door to Founders First CDC's FastPath program for the Fall 2026 cohort. FastPath is an accelerator built exclusively for diverse founder-led companies, connecting participants directly to capital, mentors, and peers as they prepare to scale. The Fall 2026 cohort is scheduled to culminate in a pitch event in San Diego this November, where founders present to investors and strategic partners.

Why This Matters for ShieldForce

Access to non-dilutive capital and structured funding readiness training are directly relevant to ShieldForce's growth as a managed cybersecurity provider serving home health agencies, hospice providers, nursing homes, palliative care organizations, and community health centers — sectors where limited IT budgets make outside capital and investor relationships especially valuable.

The recognition also builds on a pattern of institutional validation for Obi's leadership this year, following his acceptance into the Harvard Business School Foundry Bootcamp.

Obi Ibeto's Entrepreneurial Background

With over 16 years in enterprise cloud and cybersecurity, Obi brings deep domain expertise to healthcare challenges:

EPINEC Era (Pre-2023): Obi founded and led EPINEC, a Microsoft solutions partner focused on helping organizations design, secure, and optimize cloud environments — particularly in regulated industries like healthcare, financial services, and government.

ShieldForce Founding (2023): Recognizing that healthcare organizations lacked specialized cybersecurity solutions tailored to their unique threat landscape and regulatory environment, Obi founded ShieldForce to address this gap.

Recent Recognition: Obi was accepted into the Harvard Business School Foundry Bootcamp (October–November 2026) and featured on the Massachusetts Business Network podcast (Episode 196) discussing proactive cyber resilience and practical cybersecurity strategies for small and mid-sized businesses.

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About ShieldForce

ShieldForce Corporation provides managed cybersecurity specifically designed for regulated industries, particularly healthcare. The company's solutions combine advanced threat detection, endpoint protection, secure field-worker access controls, and compliance documentation tailored to HIPAA, CMS Conditions of Participation, and state cybersecurity laws.

About Founders First CDC

Founders First CDC runs the Supplier Innovative Finance Program and the FastPath accelerator, supporting diverse-certified, revenue-generating B2B and B2G suppliers with grants, capital readiness training, and direct introductions to funders.

Program Timeline: Fall 2026 FastPath cohort, culminating in a pitch event in San Diego, November 2026