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October 26, 2021 – The RBTC will soon offer CO.STARTERS Core, a 10-session, cohort-based program that equips entrepreneurs of all kinds with the insights, relationships, and tools needed to turn business ideas into action.

Drawing from the experience of successful entrepreneurs and startup veterans from around the globe, CO.STARTERS walks creative small business owners through lean, effective business modeling methods in a simple and intuitive way while connecting them to a supportive community of peers and mentors. Rather than treating a venture as a large corporation and writing a detailed business plan, CO.STARTERS participants are encouraged first to build and test small models. In the process, participants receive real-time customer feedback, update their models to meet customer needs, and avoid creating businesses based on incorrect assumptions.

The CO.STARTERS program has a global reach, serving more than 200 communities across the United States, New Zealand, and Australia. In Demopolis, CO.STARTERS will be implemented and facilitated by the RBTC, a boots-on-ground Innovation Center. The ten-week CO.STARTERS program will kick off in January 2022. Beginning this November, the RBTC will offer several “Get Started” workshops where participants can explore and or refine their business ideas. The Blackbelt Community Foundation is a program sponsor. The RBTC is supported by the Demopolis Area Chamber of Commerce, City of Demopolis, Eutaw, Linden, and the Marengo County Commission.

The RBTC has partnered with the Greene County Industrial Development Authority and the Marengo County Economic Development Authority and is offering CO.STARTER workshops on Monday, November 8, 2021, from 9:00 – 11:30 am at the RH Young Community Center in Eutaw, Tuesday, November 9, 2021, from 4:30 – 7:30 pm at the Armory in Linden, and Thursday (Veteran’s Day), November 11, 2021, from 3:30 – 6:30 pm the Hangout in Demopolis. The RBTC is offering this program because small businesses contribute to the growth, innovation, and economic development in the Blackbelt. We are here to provide entrepreneurs with the assistance they need to get started.

According to the RBTC Executive Director, Dr. Aliquippa Allen, we want to rebuild our community, one business at a time, by empowering individuals with passion, purpose, persistence, and a plan to start businesses.

Small business remains one of the fundamental economic drivers for local economies and job creation. Still, these smaller-scale startups have not received the same level of support as their high-growth counterparts. CO.STARTERS aims to narrow that gap.

“If you look beyond Silicon Valley and New York, there are countless communities that are full of talented entrepreneurs, but they lack the organized community support they need to thrive,” said Enoch Elwell, CO.STARTERS Founder. “CO.STARTERS provides a structure for these communities to achieve their economic growth goals and gives them an easy way build the connections they are already trying to grow.”

To learn about CO.STARTERS in Demopolis, visit rbtcinc.org or call 334-216-4597.