Giving Disadvantaged Entrepreneurs an equal chance
Hear from Georgia's Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan, and how Make Startups ESO site partners in Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Macon, and Savannah are making impacts in their communities!
In 2019, we first shared our approach of organizing financial institutions to recognize an entrepreneur certificate program that would lower barriers in access to capital for disadvantaged entrepreneurs across the country.
Piloted with funding from Georgia's Partnership for Inclusive Innovation, Make Startups has grown that approach into a pre-accelerator program that works with Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESO’s) to partner with workforce development agencies and support training and access to capital for disadvantaged entrepreneurs across the country. We do this by working with financial institutions nationwide to develop curriculum and assessment standards for entrepreneur training programs to improve access to affordable early stage capital for graduates of approved Make Startups training programs.
Why introduce these standards?
In doing so, entrepreneurs can qualify for financial assistance through workforce development boards and other federal and philanthropic funds. This direct aid also helps Economic Development and ESO’s sustain quality training programs, and ultimately meet their goals to grow businesses and capital in their communities.
we can help your community
Over the last 3 years, we are proud to have:
25 financial institutions pledge support of the Make Startups program
Obtained state workforce approvals in Georgia, Colorado, and North Carolina
Received government and philanthropic funding support to launch programs in 6 communities
Worked with local, state and federal government to drafted multiple policy papers to help guide Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) reauthorization
Developed an opportunity calculator that identifies how many entrepreneurs are facing poverty in every county in the USA
