Sustainable Startups

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We believe entrepreneurship has the power to change the world. 

Good ideas are everywhere.  Good people are everywhere. When you mix opportunities with talent and sprinkle in the right amount of support, entrepreneurship abounds.  We strive to remove barriers to learning by helping everyone understand that they have the ability to pursue entrepreneurial endeavors. We want all good ideas to have the chance to flourish and for any motivated person to have the opportunity to become an entrepreneur. Specifically, we serve:

 

1. Underserved Entrepreneurs: Those early-stage entrepreneurs who want to explore their ideas and join a community but currently lack opportunities and resources to do so. We provide an open, collaborative place for the exchange of ideas. 

2. Social Entrepreneurs: Those using business to tackle social and environmental problems; those who are focused on expanding economic opportunity while generating impact

3. Values-Driven Entrepreneurs: Those looking to start more traditional businesses, but with a commitment to strongly incorporate personal-values into the decision making process. Those who value the long-term health and sustainability of communities beyond just clean energy and financial security.

 

A "sustainable" community is a resilient community.  It is a community where passion, innovation and purpose can flourish. A community that is constantly evolving and improving.  A community that is inclusive, connected and regenerative. A sustainable community supports ideas that are thoughtfully developed and responsibility created, as well as financially secure. We support any and all entrepreneurs working to make these types of ideas a reality.

Salt Lake already has many skilled, creative and passionate people eager to build businesses and organizations that generate impact.  Entrepreneurship is often a lonely road, but doesn’t have to be.  We’ve created a member-based community grounded in a spirit of collaboration, peer learning, and active engagement. We help passionate entrepreneurs make their ideas a reality through programs such as: 

Co-working space: 
Great things happen when you bring talented, energetic entrepreneurs together.  Our co-working space allows for continual and evolving collaboration among Salt Lake’s impact-driven entrepreneurs.  We insure a diverse and inclusive community by providing scholarships to those entrepreneurs unable to afford membership, and to those from disadvantaged populations.

Sustainable Entrepreneurship Incubator:
Our 12-week incubator program provides both for-profit and non-profit entrepreneurs a chance to validate their concepts and learn the “lean startup” framework. Our incubator, based on Quatere’s Foundry model of peer mentorship, helps entrepreneurs set priorities, stay accountable, and build a mindset of value-driven business.

The Idea Factory:  
Our youth entrepreneurship program helps grow the next generation of community-oriented entrepreneurs.  In partnership with Salt Lake City's Sorenson Unity Center, we work with high school students to launch their very own social enterprise, and give them a jumpstart into the world of entrepreneurship. 

Sustainable Startups Series:
An interactive discussion series featuring established local companies dedicated to growing truly sustainable businesses.  The events continue to grow community around triple bottom-line principles and inspire early-stage entrepreneurs. 

Sustainable Soirees:
Soirees spring up monthly at Sustainable Startups. The program is designed for women to develop community and support authenticity in pursuing their passions and achieving their personal, professional and entrepreneurial goals.  While the program outcomes are geared towards women, we highly encourage men to attend as well.

 

Join our movement. Turn passion into action. Create a world we can be proud to call our own.

We are hosting an open house all day long on March 31st! Join us in the morning to meet participants from our incubator cohort and sample their food, stop by at lunchtime to participate in a community art project, or stop by after work and meet our youth entrepreneurs. Come see how your contributions help support our community!