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The MORTAR Entrepreneurship Academy is a fifteen-week course designed for those who are starting or growing their businesses. It will challenge you. It will inspire you. It will force you to confront your limitations and help you identify and develop your strengths. You will be exposed to new information and you will be reminded of what you already know. You will be asked to work hard inside and outside of class. You will be asked to think abstractly; to imagine something that does not yet exist. You will be asked to think concretely; to work with data and information and to make decisions about your business. But most of all, you will be asked to make some REAL decisions. If at any point you decide that this entrepreneurial journey isn’t for you—come and talk to us. Chances are we can talk you off of the ledge; but if you choose to walk away, understand that everything you’ve learned will still help you on your journey to wherever you’re headed.

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our

academy

The MORTAR Entrepreneurship Academy is a fifteen-week course designed for those who are starting or growing their businesses. It will challenge you. It will inspire you. It will force you to confront your limitations and help you identify and develop your strengths. You will be exposed to new information and you will be reminded of what you already know. You will be asked to work hard inside and outside of class. You will be asked to think abstractly; to imagine something that does not yet exist. You will be asked to think concretely; to work with data and information and to make decisions about your business. But most of all, you will be asked to make some REAL decisions. If at any point you decide that this entrepreneurial journey isn’t for you—come and talk to us. Chances are we can talk you off of the ledge; but if you choose to walk away, understand that everything you’ve learned will still help you on your journey to wherever you’re headed.

program

FLOW

Before taking flight, even before stepping onto the plane, a pilot consults her preflight checklist. This is to ensure that when she’s soaring 30,000 feet above the clouds, nothing surprises her, nothing throws her off her course. Read below to get a taste of a typical class and the week-by-week outline.

ELEMENTS OF A MORTAR ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACADEMY SESSION

MEETS WEEKLY FOR THREE HOURS

‘PUTTING IN WORK’ OUTSIDE OF CLASS

GUEST SPEAKERS

WEEKLY MEETINGS WITH MENTORS

ACTIVITIES

VIDEOS

REFLECTION

CELEBRATING SUCCESS AND LEARNING FROM FAILURE

WEEK BY WEEK

ORIENTATION:

Get your books, meet your facilitators, connect with your peers in the cohort, and familiarize yourself with the structure and expectations for the upcoming classes.

 

WEEKS 1-4 : FOUNDATIONS

The first part of the MASTERS curriculum focuses on setting a strong foundation for you as an entrepreneur, helping you understand yourself, your current situation, and your readiness to pursue your business goals.

WEEKS 5-8 : THE CORE

We delve into the essential technical aspects of launching or expanding a business, focusing on what we call The CORE - This phase explores key business fundamentals: Branding and Networking, Sales and Distribution, Competitive Analysis, Cost Structure, and Storytelling.

WEEKS 9-11 : REALLY REAL

Learn how to apply what has been learned in this course to real-life situations. 

WEEKS 11-15 : BEYOND MORTAR ENTREPRENEURIAL ACADEMY

Exploring life beyond this course. Embracing the art of storytelling, crafting compelling pitches, and forging ahead with goal-setting and planning for the future.

FAQ's

$295.00 total 

No; the out-of-pocket expense per participant is heavily subsidized through grants and contributions. 

Note: Without our development work offsetting the program costs, the out-of-pocket expense would range somewhere between $4,000-$4,500 per participant. 

A $50.00 deposit is required to secure your spot in the cohort

Upon receiving the invoice from our Finance department.

No; the balance can be paid in multiple installments. The total balance is due and to be paid by the cohort’s Orientation date

No. Your business can still be in ideation. We work with entrepreneurs that are just starting or looking to scale their business, alike. 

We run two cohorts concurrently in the Spring and Fall — Four cohorts annually. 

Each cohort runs for a succession of 15 weeks total

Exact dates vary and are determined on an annual basis by the organization. 

We strive for 15-20 participants per cohort

The classes take place on either Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday based on the cohort majority’s availability 

Class for each cohort is held one day a week from 6:00-9:00 pm 

  • The facilitators guide participating entrepreneurs through our MORTAR Masters curriculum workbook in tangent with their real-world experiences and insights as business owners
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  • Weekly visits from Subject Matter Experts guests
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  • Business support, resources, feedback
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  • Pitch preparation
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  • Conversation and community
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  • Connections to SMEs and the MORTAR ecosystem 

A dedicated 18 months of alumni support:

30-60-90 goals check-ins,long-term planning, peer-led mentorship within your specific industry, TRIBE specific events, guidance, mentorship, goal setting, alumni email and text updates, opportunities for grant funding through Iron Chest, free admission to alumni workshops and Life’s a P!+ch events, access to services (consulting, coaching, workshops, training, capital access, marketing, promotion, accounting, financial literacy, site scouting), and more!

  • No. We have grant opportunities exclusive to our Academy alumni distributed through our Iron Chest Fund

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