Disney Advertising Sales said it is launching an accelerator program to help minority-led businesses with their marketing efforts.

The Disney Advertising Sales Accelerator Program will offer 10 minority-led businesses comprehensive and custom advertising strategies, creative consultation and advertising opportunities to help tell their stories to consumers.

CAVO and Glow Recipe, will be the first brands to participate in this program.

The move comes as more media buyers and advertisers are making commitments to increase their advertising in minority owned media. 

A group led by budding media mogul Byron Allen has been pushing big companies to spend more with minority-owned media companies. Allen took out full-page ads to pressure General Motors and sued McDonald’s. Both companies have pledged to increase their spending on minority media.

Disney Advertising Sales said it is calling for change in the industry to elevate the voices of differing backgrounds and better serve diverse communities in impactful ways. 

The Accelerator Program reflects Disney Advertising Sales’ continued efforts to inspire change and follows its commitment that every deal this upfront will include multicultural goals and inclusive creative campaigns.

“We’re proud to announce the Disney Advertising Sales Accelerator Program to empower minority-led brands to reach their goals during every step of the advertising journey, from transaction to content development, and effectively tell their stories and engage their consumers,” said John Campbell, senior VP, Disney Advertising Sales. “As we continue to do business differently and take action towards a more inclusive future, this is one of the ways we’re upholding our end of that promise.”

CAVO is a San Francisco company that makes non-toxic, vegan soy candles.

"It‘s surreal to be working with Disney! We are so thankful for the resources the Accelerator Program provides and the opportunity to reach a wider audience. It's encouraging that Disney continues to spotlight and focus on multicultural audiences. We look forward to all that is to come for CAVO!,” said Femi and Naomi Adeyemo, CEOs and founders of CAVO.

Glow Recipe makes Korean-inspired skin care products that are clean, cruelty-free and free of parabens, sulfates and phthalates. It got funding on the TV series Shark Tank.

“We are honored and excited to be included in Disney's first-ever Accelerator program. As a rapidly growing skincare brand, we understand the importance of connecting with consumers and sharing our content through multiple channels, and are looking forward to expanding our reach. The opportunity to learn and optimize our creative and campaign performance alongside the Disney team will be very valuable to our business,” said Sarah Lee and Christine Chang, co-founders & co-CEOs of Glow Recipe.

Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) said it is time for minorities to be able to frame their own stories rather than have their experiences filtered through a media that does not reflect them in front of or behind the camera.

"We don't have the voice of our own media at the national level to provide perspective," Clarke said at the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council 14th annual Access to Capital and Telecom Policy Conference in Washington Thursday (July 14), where she talked about the news reporting on the police shootings of unarmed black men.

She said that social media has provided one means of not having to view the stories "through the lens of others."  But she also said it should not be the case that people have to "tweet it out" in order to "plead our case."

That is why there needs to be diverse media owned and operated by people "who look just like us," Clarke said. "We can't go to those who have marginalized it for so long to present our story. It just won't work."

Clarke in May formed the Multicultural Media Caucus to promote greater representation of minorities in the media.

Also weighing in at the conference was Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-Calif.). He said communications was the people’s space, not corporate America’s, adding that those corporations should reflect the diversity of their audiences, but don’t. He said Congress’s job was to hold up a mirror to that fact.