Ignite Entrepreneurship – Franklin County CDC and Valley Venture Mentors

The FCCDC is pleased to announce that they will be welcoming Valley Venture Mentors, Springfield’s highly-regarded entrepreneurship program, to Franklin County!

The FCCDC, and InCommN, LLC, will co-sponsor the event featuring a  VVM-style program for the first time in the Franklin County. A key component will be a “pitch camp” event, in which entrepreneurs will present their ideas for new ventures, and receive “lovingly critical” guidance on how to develop their pitch and how to assess their business proposition.

FCCDC is pleased to offer this mentorship program to supplement their long-standing business assistance and lending programs.

VVM is the highly regarded entrepreneurship program in Springfield now in its fourth year of developing, assisting, incubating and accelerating new businesses and organizations in western Mass.  “Together we will simply play well together, have fun, stimulate thinking and develop action plans” say the organizers.

Valley Venture Mentors has made headlines this year with its stellar and unique entrepreneurship approach. It provides a five to six month free mentoring — access to over 140 experts, business leaders, investors, and consultants — twice a year to start-ups which get accepted into the program.  Each 6 month cycle takes in a dozen or more start-ups to mentor and guide to a point of being prepared to launch a new enterprise.

The FCCDC/VVM/INCommn collaboration will expand and support the community of entrepreneurship in Franklin County.

They are accepting ‘pitch’ ideas from all business segments including food, as the FCCDC is home to the Western Mass Food Processing Center, the region’s only commercial food production and distribution facility. “Food producers come to us from as far away as Brooklyn, to take advantage of this great food center”, says Liz Buxton, Food Director.

Bring your business idea and get ready for some feedback! Expect a fast paced, high-energy evening involving a lot of interaction, discussion, advising, and initial mentoring.

Register here.