ORLANDO, FL.- The Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs publicized the launch of a virtual educational platform this week that, like its existing Supply Chain Accelerator Program, will offer exclusive insight on navigating the public and private business sectors to current and aspiring Black entrepreneurs.

Leadership from RICE announced the development of “Digital RICE” as well as the renewal of the organization’s partnership with Disney Experiences, Disney’s subsidiary overseeing all of the company’s theme parks located around the world, to a room of RICE business owners and stakeholders at an entrepreneurship retreat in Orlando, Florida, on Monday, December 11.

A portion of the funds from Disney will be used to advance RICE’s new online program. According to a press release from the Russell Center, this additional backing from Disney Experiences results in a financial contribution totaling more than $1 million.

“This didn’t exist two years ago,” said Paul Wilson, Jr., RICE’s vice president of innovation and entrepreneurship, about the partnership and RICE’s annual excursion to Disney World. “(Disney has) taken a liking to us in a very special way.”

Digital RICE will feature many of the entrepreneurial resources featured in existing physical programs, as well as a virtual, self-paced component that allows users to internalize concepts from lessons on their own time while appealing to a variety of student learning styles. Digital RICE serves as an expansion of the Russell Center’s existing supplier readiness training curriculum.

Burunda Prince, chief operating officer at RICE, said that the objective for both RICE and Disney through this partnership is to grow their respective businesses while learning to collaborate with companies of different sizes.

“There may be the opportunity for some of our companies to acquire Disney as a customer, but more importantly, you learn how you do business with a big…