Over $50,000 Awarded to Local Entrepreneurs The Cherokee Office of Economic Development (COED) awarded more than $50,000 to their first LaunchPad Bootcamp Series graduates, with more opportunities to come.The first LaunchPad Bootcamp Series kicked off in January with 14 participants. The free four-week series comes as a partnership between COED and Kennesaw State University’s HatchBridge Incubator. It is designed to guide emerging Cherokee County entrepreneurs in launching their business ideas or new products to help them grow in Cherokee’s entrepreneurial space.Each participant had the opportunity to earn up to $5,000 to advance their venture. Out of 13 graduates, 11 were eligible to apply for the mini grant. COED awarded $51,935 among those 11 for its inaugural session, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) distributed by the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners.Each week, participants researched, refined, and prepared their ventures for launch. Participants walked away from the series with an idea deck, business model canvas, and go-to market. To be eligible for funding, applicants had to complete the full four-week series and all assignments, be a resident of or have a business located in Cherokee County, and submit a completed mini-grant application. COED is collaborating with HatchBridge Incubator, a service born from Kennesaw State University that helps grow startups in the Atlanta suburbs. HatchBridge also offers a coworking space to help entrepreneurs kickstart their ventures. Learn more at HatchBridge.com.This program is offered as part of COED’s Fresh Start Cherokee initiative, which aims to create a culture of entrepreneurship in Cherokee County. Visit FreshStartCherokee.com to learn more.
to your business!