Train is our Business Growth Group.

Local economies win when business owners and operators support each other to overcome challenges with teams, clients, partners, investors, and more. The Center's Business Advisory Group leads cohorts and consulting projects in partnership with government, corporate, foundation, and investment partners to train later-stage ventures, microenterprises, small businesses, non-profits, institutions of higher education, incubators and accelerators, and other organizations to implement growth strategies for resilient, sustainable economies. As a result, leaders, executives, and decision makers develop or advance a Growth System and/or Growth Roadmap for implementation in the new and emerging economic landscape.

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We host growth cohorts to energize business leaders.

Small businesses, franchise businesses, family-owned businesses, multi-generational businesses, non-profits, and others need help gaining perspectives and practices to support growth, especially in a challenging pandemic economic environment. We bring owners and operators together through workshops, roundtables, and 'deep dives' (strategy sessions) to develop growth mindset and growth tools and support the implementation of a Growth Roadmap in response to a core challenge(s) across team and talent, systems and operations, customer development and marketing, product and capabilities, and business development and money management.

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Most business owners and operators seek growth support to:

· Advance existing product/service capability

· Assess digital presence and capability in market

· Re-design customer experience and acquisition

· Re-define business model and revenue model

· Define fundraising model and financing model

· Pivot and procure new or networked prospective client(s)

· Source and onboard team, consulting, and other hire(s)

· Update and test brand identity and values

· Construct and model partnership pathways

· Research and pitch prospective investment partner(s)

· Connect with and educate advisor(s) or board member(s)

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Partners and participants can expect:

· 10-week Business Growth Group cohort

· Direct engagement from Head of Programs & Head of Community

· Tool, resources, and communication support from Community Coordinator(s)

· 2/3-hour welcome event and networking with cohort participants, partners, and connections

· Eight (8) weekly 2-hour cohort education sessions on fundamentals of growth systems

· Tools and resources provided weekly on each fundamental topic

· Three (3) 2/3-hour cohort accountability sessions with mentor(s), coach(es), or SME(s)

· Templates, methods, and/or strategies provided in support of each accountability session

· Two (2) advisory strategy sessions with Mentor, Cohort Lead, and/or Head of Programs

· 2/3-hour celebration event and business showcase with cohort participants, partners, investors, and more

· Access to cohort educational and advisory content, such as session recordings, notes, and other guides

· Connections with and to entrepreneurs, partners, or influencers in our Entrepreneur Community and network(s)

· A profile and spotlight of your business and community member businesses on our platforms

· Access to downloadable content and tools in the Center Resource Base to help with grow systems

· Announcements and information sharing on research, accelerator, training, advisory and other programs

· Open door invitation to educational, social, and community events hosted by The Center and partners

· Special invitation(s) to private events, sessions, seminars, and more initiatives

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We facilitate mentor and investor collaboration to create growth strategies.

Mentors and investors are champions of mission, vision, strategy, governance, and business development, and are always eager to help businesses work through core challenges of growth as an advisor to business success. We bring mentors and investors together through workshops and roundtables to develop the Growth Roadmap for mentorship and investment in local economies. As a result, participants share insights, lessons, best practices, methodologies, and visions on mentorship and investment leading in many ways to collaborate on entrepreneurship development initiatives.

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Most mentors and investors participate as a new member of a mentor or angel investor group/network and seek to:

· Understand the local economic markets and landscape

· Assess the opportunities, challenges, and gaps with regional businesses

· Learn about organizations, teams, and initiatives spearheading business advisory

· Learn about organizations, teams, and initiatives spearheading business investment(s)

· Share ideas and opportunities for existing and/or emerging business pipeline(s)

· Share and collaborate on new practices and methodologies for business mentorship

· Share and coordinate new models of investment theses and investment structures

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Partners and participants can expect:

· 6-weeks Advisor Growth Group cohort (with 4 quarterly roundtables over 12 months)

· Direct engagement from Head of Programs, Head of Community, Head of R&D, and Executive Leadership

· Tool, resources, and communication support from Community Coordinator(s)

· 2/3-hour welcome event and networking with cohort participants, partners, and influencers

· Three (3) 2-hour cohort workshop sessions over 6-weeks on advisor role, responsibilities, and best practices

· Tools and resources provided weekly on core topics of mentorship, angel investment

· Four (4) 2/3-hour quarterly cohort roundtable sessions over 12-months with mentor(s), coach(es), or SME(s)

· Templates, methods, and/or strategies provided in support of each accountability session

· Access to cohort educational and advisory content, such as session recordings, notes, and other guides

· Connections with and to entrepreneurs, partners, or influencers in our Entrepreneur Community and network(s)

· A profile and spotlight of you or your business and portfolio businesses on our platforms

· Access to downloadable content and tools in the Center Resource Base to help with grow systems

· Announcements and information sharing on research, accelerator, training, advisory and other programs

· Open door invitation to educational, social, and community events hosted by The Center and partners

· Special invitation(s) to private events, sessions, seminars, and more initiatives

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Please inquire about The Center's additional Business Growth Group program offerings.

(Send us an email at community@hvci.org with your idea or challenge.)

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We champion college and career prep programs with educators.

Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) are the bedrock of entrepreneur, creative, scientific, and other varieties and diversities of talent, and are positioned as primary areas for 'early entrepreneurship education' initiatives to educate and train emerging leaders on Growth Systems and Growth Mindset. We consult institutes, centers, and teams leading entrepreneurship and innovation education at secondary, undergraduate, and graduate levels on designing, developing, and executing early entrepreneurship education curriculum and community programs to advance mindset and toolset for entrepreneurial leadership in a challenged world.

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Most Institutions of Higher Education partner with us to:

· Host a hackathon or a series of STEM-focused sessions

· Organize business or pitch competition(s) or challenge(s)

· Launch a student incubator (as one school offering or as a cross-disciplinary offering)

· Research, prepare for and/or launch a fund to invest in students, alumni, and/or the community

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We help launch new incubator and accelerator programs.

Local economies scale when incubators and accelerators operate side-by-side with entrepreneurs, mentors, investors, and other stakeholders in an ecosystem. We consult incubator and accelerator managers to design operational curriculum, develop community programs, and implement grant and fundraising strategies to support entrepreneurship education, operations, mentorship, investment, and more.

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Most incubators and accelerators partner with us to:

· Understand the local and regional economic markets and landscape

· Assess the opportunities, challenges, and gaps with regional stakeholders

· Learn about organizations, teams, and initiatives spearheading ecosystem growth

· Create mission-focused curricula with core tools, resources, guides and more

· Model and develop community programs to source targeted participants

· Develop and launch a fundraising campaign(s) to source partnerships

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We consult municipalities, counties, and states on entrepreneurship development.

Economic Development, Tourism, and other departments serve as the go-to, first-touch contact for both new and existing businesses either re-locating to or currently operating in the local economic landscape. We consult County Executives, Commissioners of Development, Directors of Economic Development, and related stakeholders to train leaders and teams on implementing entrepreneurship as a (or the) core strategy for economic development in the new, emerging economy.

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Most local and regional governments partner with us to:

· Assess, improve, and/or develop an OED Mission and Strategic Plan

· Advise, organize, and/or develop OED Business Services systems, including business, partner, and program management

· Research and/or advise on integration of OED strategies and/or services with IDA, CLD, Business Alliance, Development Council, or other OED partners

· Plan, organize, and/or launch business technical support programs in coordination with OED, Chamber of Commerce, and other partner stakeholders