Downtown Sacramento Foundation invests in local entrepreneurs

With close to 95,000 daytime employees, downtown Sacramento is a business hub where everything intersects, a networking environment where collisions, collaborations, and public-private partnerships thrive. Entrepreneurs are drawn to Sacramento, eager to be a part of the new energy pulsing through downtown. However, taking a business from a dream to reality is a complicated task, and many entrepreneurs need help navigating the ins and outs of our downtown retail environment.

That’s where the Downtown Sacramento Foundation’s (DSF) Calling All Dreamers program comes in. Since the program’s inception in 2013, the Calling All Dreamers competition has helped turn entrepreneurial vision into reality by offering a variety of resources and tools to help entrepreneurs navigate the challenges of their first year in business. Each year, aspiring entrepreneurs compete to open a storefront downtown and earn a business start-up package valued at $100,000.

It’s not just about the grand prize winner. To date, the Calling All Dreamers competition has helped launch 11 new businesses in downtown Sacramento. In all, they have leased over 15,000 sf of retail space and created 10 full-time and 35-part-time jobs. New businesses include Andy’s Candy Apothecary, The Dailey Method, Ana Apple, Allspicery, Figs and Feta, Sun & Soil, Off the Chain Bike Bus Tours, Metro Juice, Benjamin’s Shoes, The Workspace: Fashion Incubator, and Whired Wine.

By investing in local entrepreneurs, we are helping shape the unique, edgy, and one-of-a-kind experience that can only be found in downtown Sacramento.

We’re proud to help new businesses launch downtown and can’t wait to see all of the creative concepts that will arise during the 2016 Calling All Dreamers competition launching Tuesday, February 9.