Transform your community with a clear action plan.
As a community leader, you know what you want to see in your community in five years.
But how do you get there from where you are now? And how do you do it sustainably?
That’s where we come in.
Join our community accelerator cohort to build a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Transform your community with a clear action plan.
As a community leader, you know what you want to see in your community in five years.
But how do you get there from where you are now? And how do you do it sustainably?
That’s where we come in.
Join our community accelerator cohort to build a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Proven & trusted
Over a decade of community building work
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"CO.STARTERS' training has allowed our organization to be nimble in serving the needs throughout our area as we implement our SBA grant in five counties across the state. Whenever questions arise, the support is there. We couldn't be happier with our partnership with CO.STARTERS!"
Turn potential into action
By taking part in this accelerator, you will:
Create a strategy that works long term.
You’ll learn the best systems and processes for ensuring that your work can sustain itself if you step back.
Assess your local ecosystem's resources.
You’ll gain a deep understanding of the needs in your community and how they’re currently being met
Use impact data to tell a better story.
You’ll be able to tell a compelling, data-driven story to your board, employees, and community about what you’re achieving.
Go beyond the buzzwords.
You’ll learn what successful ecosystem building actually looks like, and how to do it yourself.
Create a strategy that works long-term.
You’ll learn the best systems and processes for ensuring that your work can sustain itself if you step back.
Assess your local resource landscape.
You’ll gain a deep understanding of the needs in your community and how they’re currently being met
Use impact data to tell a better story.
You’ll be able to tell a compelling, data-driven story to your board, employees, and community about what you’re achieving.
Go beyond the buzzwords.
You’ll learn what successful ecosystem building actually looks like, and how to do it yourself.
Get Certified in Four Months
Our brand new community accelerator curriculum is based on over ten years of ecosystem building work and entrepreneur support.
Session 1
Strategic Visioning
Assess where your community is currently, identify where you want to go, get clear on your vision, and start thinking about the steps to get there.
Session 2
Conduct a Needs Assessment
Take a deep dive into understanding your community's most pressing needs and who's already addressing those needs. Use customer discovery tactics to conduct better research.
Session 3
Build Your Ecosystem
Learn the fundamentals of ecosystem building and the essential activities every successful community has. Understand best practices for achieving stakeholder alignment, community buy-in, and thriving partnerships.
Session 4
Craft Your Strategy
Draw on nationally proven methods to identify solutions to the needs you identified in Session 2. Tailor a step-by-step plan to build momentum in your community.
Session 5
Use Data to Tell Your Story
Learn how to measure what matters, interpret the data you collect, and draw on insights to tell a compelling story about what's happening in your community and rally others to your cause.
Session 6
Identify Your Needs & Costs
Identify all the resources in various categories—human, financial, and otherwise—you'll need to execute the plan you outlined in Session 4. Pinpoint what you have, what you need, and the gap between them.
Session 7
Find Your Funding
To meet the needs identified in Session 6, craft a sustainable funding strategy that will enable you to execute your plan. Write a grant proposal and sponsorship request in real time with help from an expert.
Session 8
Create an Action Plan
Build on previous sessions by outlining an updated action plan with S.M.A.R.T. goals for time-specific milestones. Leave the accelerator with confidence needed to tackle your next initiative.
FAQs
Who is this accelerator for?
The people who will benefit the most from this accelerator are city officials or executive leaders of entrepreneurship hubs or community organizations who care about better serving local entrepreneurs and the health of the business community as a whole.
How much does it cost?
The participation fee for a community is $10,000.
When does it start?
Applications for our August cohort will close on July 31. The cohort will begin the week of August 21 and run through November.
How will you select accelerator participants?
We are only considering applications from individuals who lead local government agencies, entrepreneurship hubs, or community organizations. Consultants and contractors should refrain from applying at this time. Participating organizations must have an operating budget of at least $100,000. Our selection process will consist of interviews; we will contact you for an interview after you apply. An initial deposit will be requested upon admission to the program.
What will I get out of this accelerator?
Each accelerator participant will leave the program with an action-driven ecosystem building plan tailored to their community with time-specific milestones. In addition, participants will leave knowing how to engage funders, fund TA programs, create a sustainable model, and align community stakeholders.
Can I bring my team, or is the program designed for one person per community?
Ecosystem building isn't a solo sport; we encourage you to bring one or two other people from your community such as a strategic partner, board member, or employee.
Is this program in-person or virtual?
This program will be delivered virtually as a cohort-based learning model.