The Starting Point for a Startup Community
CO.STARTERS is a nine-week cohort based program that equips aspiring entrepreneurs with the insights, relationships, and tools needed to turn ideas into action and turn a passion into a sustainable and thriving endeavor.
Our Philosophy
Invest in individuals.
We believe that people are what really matter, more than the ideas they bring to the program. Regardless of what stage you’re at in launching your business, CO.STARTERS will help you find the best way to pursue your dream.
Community first.
We believe that individuals thrive in the context of community. CO.STARTERS is about bringing people together to learn from one another in order to create a strong network of support for starters.
Keep it simple.
We believe that by making concepts and language easy to understand, we will help starters focus on the practical steps to launch, moving them quickly toward their goals.
The CO.STARTERS Canvas
Just like an architectural model for a building can help get an idea out of the designer’s head into a form that can be shared and examined, a business model is a way of showing the thinking behind why and how a business will work.
CO.STARTERS uses a version of the “Business Model Canvas” developed by Alexander Osterwalder to help participants develop workable business models, providing an intuitive visual map to help participants understand, organize and test their ideas.
One Curriculum, Five Versions
One size does not fit all. CO.STARTERS comes in five different versions to provide the very best fit for your community.
CO.STARTERS Core
The Core version is the most versatile and works best in diverse communities to support businesses, no matter where they are located.
CO.STARTERS Urban
The Urban version addresses challenges specific to low-wealth individuals who are launching businesses and who live in economically disadvantaged communities in an urban context.
CO.STARTERS Rural
The Rural version addresses concerns unique to communities in rural regions that struggle to support new businesses.
CO.STARTERS for Causes
The Causes version addresses important concerns such as impact and sustainability for people launching projects, businesses, or social initiatives to better the community.
CO.STARTERS Generator
The Generator version is a modular toolkit that helps teens explore their passions through generating, testing, and launching ideas.
Everything You Need to Get Started
Drawing on our work with communities worldwide, CO.STARTERS offers a self-sustaining program with a short implementation timeline and extensive support resources to get something started now in your community.
