Co.Starters, a nationally recognized 10-week accelerator program aimed at helping small businesses and entrepreneurs, is returning to the commonwealth this summer thanks in part to a Northern Kentucky organization.
Covington-based Blue North, a hub for entrepreneurs and startups that split from Northern Kentucky Tri-ED last year, is partnering with SOAR, or Shaping Our Appalachian Region, a Pikeville nonprofit, to bring the next Co.Starters cohort to Kentucky in July. The program is scheduled to begin July 29 and will be held virtually. Applications are due July 1, and the program is open to residents of Kentucky or those with businesses in the commonwealth.
Co.Starters helps local entrepreneurs further develop their ideas, examine their business models and determine the next steps through real-time feedback from business leaders. Session topics include goal setting, knowing your customer, marketing, accounting, team building and more.
Co.Starters, founded in 2008 in Chattanooga, Tenn., launched nationally in 2013 and offered its first cohort in Kentucky in 2019, thanks to SOAR. It expanded into Northern Kentucky through Blue North and the Owen County Chamber of Commerce last year.
“Building a business can be challenging, and the opportunity to receive guidance and resources from business leaders can elevate and accelerate the start-up process,” Abby Ober, program director at Blue North, said in a release. “This 10-week program will provide participants with a tangible framework, and the knowledge, to create their own roadmap to find success.”
Blue North’s inaugural cohort graduated six small businesses from the program. Overall, Co.Starters has served more than 3,000 small business owners and entrepreneurs around the world, building a community of peers, coaches and business services.
“We're really excited to collaborate with Blue North to run this cohort and connect business owners in Appalachia to those in Northern Kentucky,” Ryan Jones, director of SOAR Innovation, said in a release. “This effort is a direct result from our partnership with KY Innovation to pull our resources together and build a thriving startup ecosystem."
The Co.Starters program fee is $75.
