start something.
CO.STARTERS @ iSPI
CO.STARTERS is a ten-week cohort-based program that equips entrepreneurs of all kinds with the insights, relationships, and tools needed to turn ideas into action.
UIS students interested in earning an elective credit as a participant in the CO.STARTERS program this fall should contact Rob Weis in the Office of Engaged Learning for details at rweis4@uis.edu.
CO.STARTERS Philosophy
Invest individuals. We believe that people are what really matter, more than the ideas they bring to the program. Regardless of what stage you're at in launching your business, CO.STARTERS will help you find the best way to pursue your dream.
Community first. We believe that individuals thrive in the context of community. CO.STARTERS is about bringing people together to learn from one another in order to create a strong network of support for starters.
Keep it simple. We believe that by making concepts and language easy to understand, we will help starters focus on the practical steps to launch, moving them quickly toward their goals.
Ideal CO.STARTERS Participant
The only prerequisites to participate in CO.STARTERS are:
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Having an idea.
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Being willing to question, shape and fine-tune that idea.
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Being willing to talk about the idea with others in a supportive, collaborative, and welcoming environment.
What Do Participants Get?
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A deeper understanding of how to create a sustainable business, i.e. a process for figuring out whether or not an idea is good and how to change it to make it work.
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The ability to better articulate how their businesses work.
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Defined next steps needed to move forward.
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A community of peers and support.
Please be aware that we discontinuing the CO.STARTERS program at Innovate Springfield as of Fall 2023. New programming is in development - stay tuned!
01
Week 1
knowing yourself
02
Week 2
knowing your customer
03
Week 3
finding the right solution
04
Week 4
getting the relationship right
05
Week 5
building the model to scale
06
Week 6
structure and systems
07
Week 7
discovering the bottom line
08
Week 8
financial modeling
09
Week 9
planning for growth
10
Week 10
celebration night
the fine print.
Participation. Completing an application does not guarantee participation in the program. Applications will be scored and those accepted to the cohort will be notified no later than one week prior to the start date.
Cost. CO.STARTERS is free to Innovate Springfield members who complete the program and $225 to non-members. Innovate Springfield members who fail to complete the full 9-week program will be charged $225 for the cost of materials.
Interested in membership with Innovate Springfield? Click HERE to apply.
meet the CO.STARTERS.
Meet the CO.STARTERS @iSPI Graduates
We started running CO.STARTERS at Innovate Springfield in the Spring of 2019. Since launching CO.STARTERS at iSPI, we've facilitated 6 cohorts, graduated 44 starters from the program, and two of those graduates have already gone on to establish brick and mortar locations in downtown Springfield.
This is CO.STARTERS iSPI-Style.
