Neighborhood Entrepreneurship Lab
NEL pairs community business owners with project advisors, project strategists, community partners, and corporate partners who provide intensive support to help execute a growth initiative for each business. A4CB invites each NEL participant based on previous success in running or supporting a small business.
NEL Outcomes
Two years after starting NEL, NEL graduates report:
Average number of employees increased by
24%
Average annual revenue increased by
54%
Average profit increased by
104%
Neighborhood Entrepreneurship Lab Roles
Every participant must contribute to the success of the community businesses in the Lab.
Community Business Owner
Propose the growth initiative they wish to execute and owns the results of the Lab.
Allies for Community Business
Carefully selects the Lab participants, creates the content sequence, and manages the cohort overall.
Investor
Contribute to a pool of funds from which each community business owner receives a $20,000 grant to support the growth initiative.
Project Advisor
Offer introductions to influential contacts within their personal networks, provide core content to all community business owners, and oversee a small group of entrepreneurs and project strategists who work together to design the chosen growth strategies.
Project Strategist
Serves in a critical support role, helping community business owners maximize the immersive experience and stay on track to complete deliverables on time.
Community Partner
Help A4CB identify potential business owners for the Lab, prepare selected community businesses, and encourage Lab participants to find additional resources for community businesses.
Corporate Partner
Help A4CB identify potential project strategists, match corporate procurement needs to NEL businesses who can supply those goods and services locally, and provide grant funds to support the program.
Lab Supporter
Connect A4CB leadership to community business owners, investors, project advisors, project strategists, community partners, and corporate partners that could potentially participate in future Labs.
The entire team holds each other accountable for the success of the business throughout the Lab and beyond.
Neighborhood Entrepreneurship Lab Goals
By the end of each Lab:
Each community business owner will complete a growth strategy and will begin to execute that strategy
Each project advisor and project strategist will create at least one valuable business connection for one or more Lab participants
Two years after the Lab concludes:
Each community business owner will have increased profits by at least 20% relative to the year during which the Lab began
Each investor, project advisor, project strategist, and partner will have referred at least two people that A4CB has then selected to participate in at least one Lab