Running Start Entrepreneur Training
RST provides all the support needed to give minority-owned businesses the best chance possible at overcoming hurdles faced by startups so they can succeed at growing and sustaining thriving businesses.
Program Highlights
The aim of the program is to open the door to economic opportunity for citizens of Chicago that live in divested R3 Zones by developing their competencies in the steps and activities associated with creating and sustaining an entrepreneurial venture.
Program curriculum is designed to take participants through the steps and stages of venture creation, with a tailored emphasis on the unique challenges and opportunities associated with being a business owner from a typically under invested in minority group. Importantly, the entire training program is offered without any cost to participating community members.
Teams will learn how to test the value of their ideas and validate (or invalidate) the problem they are hoping to solve for their target customer. As teams work to transform their hypotheses into evidence-based insights, they will refine their businesses and may even make a significant pivot on the road to building a more successful startup.
Who Should Apply ?
- Aspiring entrepreneurs with a business idea
- Demonstrated passion for the problem they hope to solve with their idea
- No prior business or startup experience is necessary.
- Be committed to attending all sessions
- Entrepreneurs who want to take their business to the next level
- Preference given to teams with two or more members
- Preference given to diverse and multi-disciplinary teams
Program Details
Learn the art of customer discovery, design thinking, business model development, hypothesis testing, and raising money to build an enduring enterprise at our entrepreneurship bootcamp.
Topics include:
1. The importance of business models
2. Design thinking
3. Customer and product discovery process
4. Financial modeling
5. The role of the founder, building effective partnerships, and recruiting team members
6. Strategic positioning and value proposition development
7. Marketing, personal selling, and customer acquisition
8. Harnessing resources and fundraising
9. Pitching to investors
Each session features business experts addressing topics critical to the growth of successful enterprises including accounting, legal, market research, real estate, taxes, insurance, payroll, cash flow, marketing, social media and more.
Participants develop a business plan, and toward the end of the course present the plan to a panel of judges. The winners of the business plan competition receive a $3,000 cash grant from Urban Array.
Urban Array provides a range of year-round, wrap around support services for entrepreneurs, but the best way to maximize and actualize these opportunities lies in our individualized business support volunteer teams.
Businesses will work one-on-one with a mentor and project manager to set objectives, create a plan, and take meaningful steps towards accomplishing business goals.
Mentors will help teams focus, prioritize, remain accountable, and connect businesses to other Urban Array services that will help move the business forward.
An individualized road map is designed to take businesses to the next level. We not only teach businesses what they need to do to grow their business, we do it along with them. Our army of volunteers are supporters of all businesses within the program.
UA offers a variety of resources and programs including:
- One-on-One Business Growth Project manager
- The Studio teams—trusted, vetted volunteer freelancers, who help businesses with everything from setting up books to creating new websites and apps.
- Pro-Bono Legal Services
Training:
- Continued learning through advanced seminars
- Business competitions that combine coaching, mentorship and financial incentives
Resources:
- 90 Day Action Plan – a program that helps you set goals, and create a plan on how to reach them — all during one-on-one sessions with an experienced business mentor.
- 6-month Business Incubator Placement Program
- Sales Opportunities
Community:
- Opportunities for Networking, Mentorship, and collaboration
- Bi-monthly newsletters filled with resources and opportunities for entrepreneurs
Participants develop a business plan, and toward the end of the course present the plan to a panel of judges. The winners of the business plan competition receive a $3,000 cash grant from Urban Array.
Alumni of the Running Start Training Program also have access to loan and investment resources from the Restorative Investment Fund and the Urban Array Opportunity Funds.
Urban Array is a 501 (c)3 Nonprofit committed to resolving the problems associated with economic exemption and inequality by empowering entrepreneurship and economic ownership in formerly divested communities.