Downtown Sacramento Partnership Opens Annual Application for Calling All Dreamers Business Incubator
Aspiring entrepreneurs are encouraged to apply for a chance to receive hands-on training, personalized support, and cash infusion ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 to help launch their downtown business.
SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (August 1, 2025) – Downtown Sacramento Foundation (DSF) is encouraging entrepreneurs to submit their big ideas in the 13th annual Calling All Dreamers business incubator. This program provides a one-of-a-kind chance for aspiring business owners to receive resources and support to launch their dream business. Applications can be submitted online at CallingAllDreamers.org beginning Friday, August 1, 2025, through 11:59 p.m. PST on September 1, 2025.
Now entering its 13th year as a business incubation program, last year’s Calling All Dreamers winner signed a lease in Old Sacramento Waterfront and plans to open in September. Last year’s runner up is in lease negotiations and plans to sign a lease this summer.
“Calling All Dreamers is a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to connect with local experts to develop and elevate their business models,” said Andrew LaFrance, Business Development Manager at Downtown Sacramento Partnership and program manager for Calling All Dreamers. “This free program has assisted nearly 40 retail, food-based, and experience-based businesses with opening in Sacramento since 2013. I am eager to see which exciting business concepts participate in the 13th season of this impactful program that has brought so much value to the downtown community.”
Selected applicants will participate in business development workshops that call for extensive planning, market research, and proof of financial sustainability. After several months, the top five concepts are chosen to move forward and are eligible to receive a $5,000 to $20,000 cash infusion into their business provided they complete the program and sign a lease in Downtown Sacramento Partnership’s district within one year.
Leading the cohort through the process is a special selection committee formed by the Downtown Sacramento Foundation, including prominent business leaders and SCORE volunteers who assist them in building out their business plan and financial projections. Ultimately, the committee will select the most viable candidate to receive the cash infusion to assist the successful launch of their downtown Sacramento storefront.
After being selected by a committee in early September, the cohort attend a variety of business workshops from September – November. The selection committee will choose the five program finalists in December and the finalists will practice and deliver a final pitch in February. The final awardee and runner up will be announced in February 2026.
The Calling All Dreamers program is proudly produced by Downtown Sacramento Partnership and presented by Kaiser Permanente, with the generous support of the Capitol Corridor Chapter of SCORE, SMUD, California Bank of Commerce, the Carlsen Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and the City of Sacramento’s Office of Innovation and Economic Development.
The valuable cash infusion is made possible due to support from sponsors who continue to be champions for the economic growth of the downtown core that include Bizhaven, Indie Capital, T-Rock Communications, Women’s Business Center, CoStar Group, and more. Partnership opportunities are still available for local businesses. Businesses interested in helping to make a difference by donating services are encouraged to contact Andrew LaFrance, Business Development Manager, at [email protected] or 916-442-8575.
Former Calling All Dreamers finalists and runners up currently operating in downtown Sacramento include Pittador Brews (coming soon), Haus of Comedy (coming soon), Ecojoyous (2024), Dipped N Color Splat Studio (2023), and NEO Escape Rooms (2018). Other Calling All Dreamers participants currently operating shops and storefronts in Sacramento include Mercado Urbano, Planted Foods, Capital Tuk-Tuk, Gondo Fusion, Burnside Coffee, Leash & Collar, The Kitchen Table, Allspicery, Sun and Soil Juice, Pure Soul, Pizza Supreme Being, and The Dreamland Cinema.
For more information about the Calling All Dreamers program and/or how to apply, please visit www.CallingAllDreamers.org.