Building a community of entrepreneurs

“When we think of bricks, we think of physical spaces – but the mortar is what holds everything together,” said Woods, in a recent podcast interview. “For us, [that] is a representation of people. You can have beautiful buildings and great parks but if you don’t have people who care about those things, then it’s difficult to sustain.” Since its founding in 2014, 175 entrepreneurs have graduated from MORTAR’s nine-week program – and among them, African Americans and women each represent a majority. Its alumni now run a wide range of businesses: a platform for neighbors to employ teenagers within their community; an indoor dog park where owners can work out with their dog; a graphic recording service that turns meeting discussion into visual art in real time; among many others. “I want the legacy of MORTAR to be that we took a risk and told people ‘yes’ who were used to being told ‘no,’” said Woods. “We want to be known as the organization that told people their ideas were possible. And didn’t just give them lip service, but the tools, resources and connections to move forward.”