BIRMINGHAM, AL – Create Birmingham, in partnership with the Bessemer Redevelopment Corporation, is accepting applications for the CO.STARTERS fall 2023 cohort. CO.STARTERS is a nationally recognized entrepreneurship program that provides aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs with specially tailored assistance to identify opportunities, address challenges, and overcome barriers. This will be the third Bessemer cohort with the first one taking place in the fall of 2022. CO.STARTERS has been offered since 2014 in Birmingham and has had over 300 graduates.
The fall cohort will take place September 11 – November 13 on Mondays from 9 AM – 12 PM at Bessemer’s Downtown Entrepreneurial Center. Graduates of the cohort who locate or expand their business in Bessemer will be eligible for a $1,000 competitive grant, funded by Truist Bank and made possible by the Bessemer Redevelopment Corporation, with additional competitive grant funding opportunities from Create Birmingham.
The cohort will be led by Bessemer entrepreneur, Alisha Ruffin Brown, a CO.STARTER graduate and the founder and CEO of Balanced Boss Woman. To date, nearly 20 individuals have taken part in CO.STARTERS Bessemer including Shae Fowler, owner of Shae Jae’s Health and Wellness. When asked about the program, Shae said, “CO.STARTERS was a great success, and it has helped me to structure my business. I consider myself to be an introvert and this program has given me the confidence to be more outgoing and engage with my customers.”
Registration is open now at costartersbham.org. There is funding available for Bessemer residents to help offset program fees.
For more information on this program send an email to anthony@createbirmingham.org.
Create Birmingham’s mission is to invest in economic development in the nonprofit and commercial creative sectors. For more information, For more information on our creative entrepreneurship programs, visit www.createbirmingham.org/programs/ or send an email to hello@createbirmingham.org.
