A new Innovation Bootcamp will begin offering monthly, “Innovate-Up” small business workshops starting Thursday, August 22nd from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at Malcolm X Library, 5148 Market St, San Diego, CA 92114. Intensive small group meetings will be held in six targeted communities: Encanto, Chollas, City Heights, Rolando, Redwood, and Linda Vista.
The program is completely free and promises to provide essential support and investment in local entrepreneurs, and business owners over several years.
The public-private partnership was funded in part by a $300,000 grant from The County of San Diego to the Brink SmallBusiness Development Center at USD, with a mission to help San Diego communities thrive.
“We introduced Innovate-Up to support the creative ideas and entrepreneurial spirit of San Diegans. Innovative products and new technologies don’t just come from people living in Silicon Valley; I believe we have that same caliber of an entrepreneur living in Encanto, Chollas, City Heights, Rolando, Redwood, and Linda Vista. Innovate-up will cultivate our homegrown talent, and help them to make a lasting impact on their community,” said County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher.
Studies have shown that thriving small businesses create thriving communities. When residents shop locally, neighborhoods and schools improve and so does the quality of life.
The bootcamps cover a wide range of business tops critical for success, including: ideation, business development, marketing, market fit, product development, product fit, finance, customer fit, investor relations, engineering, distribution, vendor development, and legal support. Professional mentors are provided to collaborate with bootcamp participants.
On almost every Wednesday or Thursday starting August 22, 2019, each workshop will focus on the following:
- Start-up Business Basics – Ideation, formation, business plan, product development, patent and trademark assistance, market fit, product fit, and all things money.
- Business Scale-Up – Branding, marketing, alternate financing, crowd-sourcing, credit repair, building credit through innovative apps, seed money opportunities, San Diego Angel Conference, business plans, distribution, manufacturing guidance, growth strategies, and free office furniture.
- Small Business Certification – Obtain your veteran-owned, women-owned, minority-owned business certification. Also, learn how to bid on government and university contracts to become a supplier or vendor.
- Product Innovation Bootcamp – Idea exploration, market and product fit, product design, engineering, and prototype, manufacturing assistance, and, patent and trademark support.
View the workshop schedule by visiting www.innovate-up.com, call 619-260-4547 or email [email protected].
