For Immediate Release
Rising Tide Capital to Graduate 230 New Jersey Entrepreneurs From Its Nationally
On Thursday, January 17, 2019 at 6:00 p.m., Rising Tide Capital will hold a graduation for the Fall 2018 class of its nationally recognized Community Business Academy, an intensive 12-week training program for entrepreneurs on how to start, grow, and sustain a business. The graduation ceremony will take place at Saint Peter’s University Mac Mahon Student Center, 6th Floor, 47 Glenwood Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306. The ceremony will include a keynote address from Executive Vice President & Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at RWJBarnabas Health Michellene Davis and remarks from New Jersey Assemblywoman Angela McKnight.
With this class of graduates, the Community Business Academy, which began in 2006 with 15 participants, has produced more than 2,500 entrepreneurs. Additionally, the training program continues to yield impressive results; within 2 years of graduating its entrepreneurs achieve a 112% increase in their business sales, a 58% increase in household income, and a 48% reduction in the use of public assistance.
“The Community Business Academy is the bedrock of Rising Tide Capital’s mission to help entrepreneurs chart a path toward economic independence and sustainability by providing them with the necessary tools, training, and knowledge capital. Rising Tide Capital entrepreneurs are talented and innovative, but often lack access to resources and networks. After graduation, our entrepreneurs begin their journey towards their business goals with the guidance of our vast network of business experts who continue to provide support and mentoring. As a result, these visionaries – most of whom are from underserved communities – are helping to create more inclusive, attainable, and opportunity-generating local economies,” explained Alfa Demmellash, CEO and co-founder of Rising Tide Capital.
After graduation, each entrepreneur will receive a certificate of graduation, an individualized action plan outlining the next steps to help them reach their business goals, and discounted and exclusive enrollment in RTC’s Business Accelerations Services, which includes year-round support services such as one-on-one coaching. RTC entrepreneurs also join the diverse and resourceful alumni network of Rising Tide Capital entrepreneurs.
The Community Business Academy is offered twice a year in the spring and the fall. Participants learn business fundamentals like budgeting, marketing, bookkeeping, and attracting financing. Classes are taught in both English and Spanish on weeknights and Saturday mornings and they are held in Jersey City, the City of Orange Township, West New York, Elizabeth, and Newark. RTC is currently accepting applications for the Spring Community Business Academy through February 20. Those looking to apply must attend a free informational session. To learn more about the CBA, visit www.risingtidecapital.org/events.
