Calling All Dreamers!
Starting a successful business is hard. But it doesn’t have to be.
Every seasoned business owner will tell you that starting, maintaining and growing a successful business takes a lot of work and a lot of time. Downtown Sacramento Partnership’s Calling All Dreamers program allows you to fast-track this process with our multi-week bootcamp to help you gain all the knowledge and resources you need to start your brick-and-mortar business downtown.
Produced by the Downtown Sacramento Foundation, Calling All Dreamers is a business incubator program that brings in industry professionals to mentor entrepreneurs for the chance to open a downtown storefront and earn a coveted business start-up package valued at $100,000.
About our Calling All Dreamers program:
The first year is usually the most difficult for small businesses with many startups struggling with capital, overhead expenses, permitting processes and the details of actually managing a business.
To make it easier, in 2013 Downtown Sacramento Foundation launched the Calling All Dreamers program to support entrepreneurs and bring their dream of opening a downtown storefront to reality. Previous participants of this incubator program – including Dipped N Color Splat Studio, Nash & Proper, Neo Escape Rooms, and The Allspicery – have quickly become signature small businesses downtown, inspiring a new class of dreamers to pursue their big idea year after year.
Program at-a-glance
- APPLY – Prepare an application, business plan and 60-second video. Applications open August 1st, 2023 and close September 4th, 2023.
- DEVELOP – Applicants are chosen based on our guidelines. Accepted applicants are placed in their bootcamp cohort paired with a business mentor from SCORE to build their concept and refine their winning pitch.
- WIN – Entrepreneurs who are most business-ready will be given up to $20,000 in cash, in addition to in-kind services from industry professionals.
Be a part of the dream
The valuable prize package is made possible due to the generous support of sponsors who continue to be champions for the economic growth of the downtown core.
Partnership opportunities are still available for local businesses able to donate much-needed accounting and marketing/website administrative support. Businesses interested in helping to make a difference by donating services should contact Andrew LaFrance, Business Development Manager, at [email protected] or 916-442-8575.
