Inclusive Entrepreneurship
Inclusive Entrepreneurship
Build a solid foundation for success
The inclusive entrepreneurship programs at Mercy Connections provide education and access for people traditionally excluded from the business world. Whether you are pursuing a side project, self-employment, or a scalable small business, we are here to help!
Our programs help you plan, launch, and sustain small businesses in Vermont. For over 30 years, these programs have provided women+ with a supportive environment to discuss the realities of work and life, build business knowledge, and explore and create opportunities.
Start Up is our signature business program. This supportive, inclusive semester-long course is a deep dive into business planning.
Start Up is for you if you:
- Have a solid business idea that you'd like to pursue
- Are serious about learning and taking action
- Can make the time commitment to fit this into your busy life
- Welcome active participation in a small-group environment
- Are ready to make positive change and take control of your future
- Identify as a woman, female, non-binary, transgender or gender-nonconforming
This course helps women+ gain knowledge and build skills critical to having a successful business. Using the framework of writing a business plan, students learn the language of business and graduate armed with the knowledge they need to launch or expand their businesses.
The curriculum covers the fundamentals of three content areas in depth: Marketing, Finance, and Business Operations, and is taught by a team of instructors who are also business owners. You’ll graduate knowing how to start and operate a successful business, and you will have completed a comprehensive, realistic business plan that you can use as a guide and to talk to a lender for funding. This course is also designed for women+ who are already in business and want to reinvent their business or take it to the next level.
Class size is intentionally small, so you’ll get lots of personal attention and form lasting bonds with your classmates. This small-group experience has been referred to as “life-changing” by many of our previous graduates.
Dates: August 30 - December 14
Deadline to Apply: August 18
Tuition Details: The total cost of the class is $2,590. The tuition for the course is $2,500, and mandatory fees include the $25 application fee and a $65 license fee for a dedicated LivePlan account for 6 months. We are grateful to partner with the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC) to offer Advancement Grants to cover the cost of tuition for income-eligible students, and we offer internal scholarships and flexible interest-free payment plans to make the cost of the class accessible to everyone.
Description: This class is designed for those who are looking for community and support as they start their new business. Launch Pad is a supported, drop in, co-working space for folks actively working to start a new business.
Participants work alongside other entrepreneurs to take action and get support on tasks to get their business up and running. Staffed by our Director of Inclusive Entrepreneurship, she will offer help on everything from registering a business or setting up bookkeeping software, to building a marketing strategy.
Date: Tuesdays, September 19 - December 12
Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Where: In-person at Mercy Connections
Instructor: Claire Wheeler
Registration: Interested students must schedule a chat with Claire Wheeler before being enrolled in order to survey each person's needs and ensure fit.
Contact Claire via email or phone at 802-846-7081
Description: In this class, crafters and makers are supported in a co-working environment to develop and create products to sell at craft and art fairs, as well as Mercy Connections' own "Mercy Marketplace" fair in December.
Participants work one-on-one with instructors to design and create products, practice time and project management skills and set sales goals for vending opportunities that they wish to pursue.
Date: Thursdays, September 21 - December 14
Time: 9:00 am - 10:30 am
Where: In-person at Mercy Connections
Instructor: Heather Gilbert
Registration: Sign up online by clicking the button below or call Heather at 802-846-7294
Registration Deadline: September 21
To register after the deadline please contact Heather
Description: This course is for artists and/or crafters who have dreamed of selling their work. In this 13-week vendor training course, participants will apply project management skills to explore how to sell products to the public.
Students will learn how to assess the market for products and what makes their work unique. They will also learn how to create a budget, price products, how to work with customers and handle money.
Date: Tuesdays, September 19 - December 12
Time: 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Where: In-person at Mercy Connections
Instructors: Heather Gilbert & Victoria Tamas
How to Register: Sign up online by clicking the button below or contact Heather at 802-846-7294
Registration Deadline: September 19
Description: Idea to Action is a six-hour workshop over three two-hour sessions for adult learners. This short course is designed to introduce aspiring entrepreneurs to self employment and to assist with creating a vision and a plan for a path forward that includes business ownership.
Space is prioritized for new participants.
Date: Wednesdays, September 27, October 04 and 11
Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Where: In-person at Mercy Connections
Instructor: Claire Wheeler
Registration: Sign up online by clicking the button below or call Claire at 802-846-7081
Registration Deadline: September 20
Description: Idea to Action is a six-hour workshop over three two-hour sessions for adult learners. This short course is designed to introduce aspiring entrepreneurs to self employment and to assist with creating a vision and a plan for a path forward that includes business ownership.
Space is prioritized for new participants.
Date: Mondays, November 06, 13 and 20
Time: 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Where: Online
Instructor: Claire Wheeler
Registration: Sign up online by clicking the button below or call Claire at 802-846-7081
Registration Deadline: October 31
Description: In this introductory series, participants can drop in to one or all of the virtual lunchtime sessions to learn about the basics of business ownership. The format will include a short presentation, work time to complete a relevant activity and time for connection and Q&A.
Session Topics/Dates:
Developing a Business Concept - September 25
Intro to Marketing - October 02
Setting Up Your Business - October 09
Intro to Business Finance - October 16
Paying Yourself & Hiring Others - October 23
Date: Mondays, September 25 - October 23
Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Where: Online
Instructor: Claire Wheeler
Registration: Sign up online by clicking the button below or call Claire at 802-846-7081. Register any time before a session! You may drop in for just one session or more.
Description: In this introductory series, participants can drop in to one or all of the virtual lunchtime sessions to learn about the basics of business ownership. The format will include a short presentation, work time to complete a relevant activity and time for connection and Q&A.
Note: This is an in-person program and requires registration ahead of time
Session Topics/Dates:
Developing a Business Concept - October 25
Intro to Marketing - November 01
Setting Up Your Business - November 08
Intro to Business Finance - November 15
Paying Yourself & Hiring Others - November 22
Date: Wednesdays, October 25 - November 22
Time: 10:00 am - 11:30 am
Where: In-person at Mercy Connections
Instructor: Claire Wheeler
Registration: Sign up online by clicking the button below or call Claire at 802-846-7081
Registration Deadline: October 18
To learn more, contact Claire Wheeler, Director of Inclusive Entrepreneurship.
“This course came at a point in my life that challenged me to practice focusing, organizing my thoughts, and sharing what is deep down in my heart. It also gave me the space to be vulnerable and put my dreams out into the world.’
— Andrea DiMedio
Andrea DiMedio Photography