IGNITE 360® Business Mentoring Program - Fueling Business Growth
Did you know that in the United States it is estimated that 20% of businesses fail in the first year, and 30% by the end of the second year? By the end of the fifth year, about half will have failed, and by the end of the decade, only 30% of businesses will remain — a 70% failure rate.
That is why, in 2012, weVENTURE WBC began a program called the IGNITE 360® Business Mentoring Program to help equip business owners and entrepreneurs with the knowledge, resources and relationships required to solve critical business problems while advancing to the next level of sustainable growth. IGNITE 360® is designed to help YOU beat the odds. Connect with a weVENTURE WBC Business Coach today and see if you are ready for IGNITE 360®!
IGNITE 360® PATHWAYS Business Launch Program - designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs turn their concept into a successful business. The program includes four weeks of how-to start up instruction with intensive coaching and support. With this dual-focused strategy, you get the information you need along with the support you want to help turn your ideas into a reality and launch your start-up with greater success! Led by weVENTURE WBC staff and featuring presentations from local subject matter experts, this is a fantastic option for entrepreneurs who want to be able to ask questions, talk through challenges and benefit from deadlines and accountability support.
You'll gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence you need to turn your dreams into a thriving business, and join a supportive community of like-minded entrepreneurs to journey along with. Classes are held on Saturday mornings, 3-virtual 1-in-person, as we recognize many aspiring entrepreneurs still have full-time jobs or are busy working on the business.
Program size is limited so don't wait - talk to a weVENTURE WBC Business Coach today and see if Pathways is right for you!
2026 Cohorts:
Cohort #1 Pathways Business Launch Class
Cost: $50
Dates: February 7, February 14, February 21 and February 28. In- person session on February 21. All sessions are from 8:30am-10:30am.
Cohort #2 Pathways Business Launch Class for the Childcare Industry (Home-Based or Center Care Facilities. Note:
Cost: FREE
Dates: February 21, February 28, March 7 and March 14. In-person session on March 7. All sessions are from 8:30am-10:30am.
CEU Credits: Participants who attend all 4 sessions, complete the assignments and pass the learning assessment will also be awarded 1.6 CEUs via the Florida Association of Child Care Management. Pathways Business Launch Class is presented in four weeks, with 2 modules covered each week. (2 hours per week = 8 hours in class); Participants are given homework, which we estimate takes 1-2 hours a week (estimate 6 hours total); Also as part of the program they are provided two 1 hour private 1:1 coaching sessions with Alisa Coleman, our Childcare subject matter expert, (2 hours total).
IGNITE 360® TRANSITION was created especially for entrepreneurs and organizations that need strategy before growth or change. Transitions is a three-month mentoring program that provides the resources and accountability required to support business sustainability. Program fee: $1,500
IGNITE 360® ADVANTAGE was created for companies that are committed to growth. Led by an experienced facilitator, the business owner(s) works with an advisory board of mentors and unique subject matter experts to define and pro-actively manage the strategic and functional change that is required for successful, profitable growth. Each session, participants work towards specific objectives that strengthens the organization financially and improves processes that build on developing the capacity of its workforce. Program fee: $2,500
TECHCELERATOR PROGRAM is a 6-month business acceleration initiative designed to support small businesses seeking strategic growth, especially in manufacturing and design. Combining the weVENTURE WBC’s IGNITE 360 mentoring with Florida Tech’s Vertex Applied Innovation Hub, the program offers customized coaching, prototyping support, and access to advanced equipment.
Participants work with a dedicated team of 4–5 mentors in areas like operations, finance, marketing, and product development. Monthly meetings help entrepreneurs define goals, improve operations, and build leadership skills.
Ideal for innovative businesses ready to scale. Program fee: $3,500, with additional fees for materials and equipment.
weVENTURE engages more than 80 experienced mentors, subject matter experts, facilitators and volunteers who are dedicated to your success.
The IGNITE 360® Mentoring Program is a small business capacity building program that addresses finance management as a core component to addressing the issues associated with expanded business development and access to critical resources. IGNITE 360® was developed as a proprietary program by Florida Tech committed to the growth of second stage businesses in order to promote a strong, networked community of entrepreneurs to build workforce capability at different management levels, and build capacity from within to create and retain jobs, and expand product and service offerings. IGNITE 360® helps start-up and growth-oriented companies who are having certain success, but who are not yet second-stage companies and need access to mentoring, leadership development, and capital to grow. Thus, we have expanded our proprietary program to address the needs of businesses that are classified into three distinct entrepreneurial levels or phases. Companies are paired with a team of mentors who work with them over three or six months to achieve outcomes necessary to build a solid foundation for business growth.
Set Your Business Up For Sustainable Success
weVENTURE’s IGNITE 360® Business Mentoring Program has graduated 175 businesses, averaging about 20 companies per-year, and accept clients on a rolling basis. Now in its twelfth full year of service, IGNITE 360® is mentoring companies across diverse industries. Reported outcomes from the program participants are impressive: 93% of IGNITE 360® graduates created new jobs, 12% have increase in revenues >$1Million, 10% have doubled their revenues more than 50%, 20% have increased revenues up to 50%, and 28% reported significant increases in process improvement and business development which provided a stronger foundation for growth in the coming year. Perhaps most importantly, ALL are still in business - giving the program a 100% success rate!
Participants enrolled in IGNITE 360® are looking to achieve revenue and traction for their businesses based on a client-centered, financial fundamentals, learn about lean business model strategies, understand key business concepts, identify market strategies and sales tactics, and understand basic business finance. In order to measure results, unique goals are established for each participant and they are required to provide updates and reports on their progress on a semi-annual basis.
This is a fee-for-service program, ranging from $40 to $3,500 depending on the length of services provided. IGNITE 360® allows small businesses to receive in-depth, strategic business advisement at a fraction of the cost of high-priced consulting firms.
Thanks to scholarships from community partners like the Community Foundation of Brevard, Wells Fargo, the City of Cocoa and Zonta Club of Melbourne, some clients are able to participate in the IGNITE 360® Business Mentoring Program at no cost. Contact a weVENTURE WBC business coach today to see if you qualify.
Thank you to Bank of America for underwriting the Pathways Program, making this valuable content accessible to aspiring entrepreneurs. Special thanks to Wells Fargo for underwriting the IGNITE 360® Business Mentoring Program, making this impactful program affordable to growing small businesses.
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