Uptima Entrepreneur Cooperative

The Uptima Entrepreneur Cooperative is not one specific accelerator program, but the only cooperative community for and by entrepreneurs that offers dozens of bootcamps and courses focused on the development and growth of early-stage businesses. While some courses scheduled for later in 2021 require physical presence, most of Uptima’s courses are hosted online. 

Uptima separates their courses into two categories: Bootcamp and Academy. The former’s programming is structured to aid freelancers, independent artists, and small business owners in defining their business model, their social impact, and laying the groundwork for future success. The latter takes development up a notch. The Academy is a year-long entrepreneurship support program helping small business owners to craft plans, improve operations, access capital, and developing leadership abilities that will ultimately result in resilient, sustainable business with social impact.

The Uptima accelerator’s competitive edge is their vast network available to aspiring business owners. The network is capable of connecting startups with a diverse community of peers, mentors, and partner organizations who offer ongoing support. Example members include business support providers, funding resources, banking and legal help, and much more. 

The work Uptima has done in powering this unique community has resulted in 725 entrepreneurs served, 698 jobs created and close to $6MM in funding received by the supported businesses. The Uptima Entrepreneur Cooperative focuses heavily on the support of diverse entrepreneurs in the pursuit of meaningfully servicing their communities. In true cooperative fashion, Uptima is owned by the members. This includes a profit-sharing structure, managerial responsibilities, and collaborative contribution expectations.