When Mountain BizWorks launched the Catalyst Program in 2020, the vision was straightforward but ambitious: redesign access to capital and business development support to reach entrepreneurs that traditional lending and training programs too often leave behind. Five years, and more than 60 business owners, later, the program’s latest cohort has completed the journey. Seven entrepreneurs crossed the finish line this spring, emerging with sharper business strategies, stronger networks, and in some cases, products finally ready to hit shelves.
“The vision of the Catalyst Cohort is to provide entrepreneurs an immersive experience to help them build foundations and long-term strategies for their businesses,” said Lucious Wilson, Catalyst Program Director. “Importantly, it’s also in a setting where they can process ideas in a room full of entrepreneurs who have shared experiences.”
The cohort that began together last fall included: Cuentos y Café BIPOC Bookstore, Fly Luxury LLC, Grace Apparel Company, Infinite Wow, Metanoia & Co., The Royall Vegan Comfort Food LLC, and Thanks Earth. Each brought a different business, a different background, and a different set of goals.
“Being a part of the Catalyst Cohort has been such a wonderfully supportive experience as a small business owner who is still learning and growing,” said Tamara Olmedo, owner of Cuentos y Café BIPOC Bookstore. “The Cohort not only offered valuable information from the business side of things, it also created a space for all of us cohort members to lean on one another as we navigate so many intricate pieces of what it means to be a business owner and, in part, a creative. We laughed, we shared, and we became part of a community that can reach out to one another when we get tripped up or just want to share our victories. I’m excited to use what I’ve learned in Catalyst to continue building the systems I need to keep Cuentos y Café moving forward in a way that is more sustainable and focused.”
That sense of community proved so meaningful that the cohort decided not to let it end when the program did. Josh Milowe of Thanks Earth, a natural oral care company, shared that the group made a collective decision to keep meeting monthly even after graduating. “Even though we aren’t directly collaborating most of the time, it is encouraging to learn and work together and support each other however we can,” he said.
For Milowe, the program marked a turning point. Thanks Earth has finalized its formulations and packaging design for its first product, Magic Mouthwash Crystals, and is preparing to launch. The website is in progress, local store outreach is on the horizon, and the brand has secured a trademark and official product barcodes. “It took lots of details and decisions,” Milowe said, adding that he was deeply grateful for Mountain BizWorks’ support, including technical assistance funding. “So so so helpful,” he said.
The Catalyst Program is structured around the belief that access to capital alone isn’t enough: entrepreneurs need tools, mentorship, and community to build businesses that last. Participants receive one-on-one mentoring, access to expert speakers, up to $2,000 for tailored business development services, and the kind of peer connections that outlast the program itself.
Applications for the next Catalyst Cohort will open in summer 2026. Entrepreneurs interested in joining can visit mountainbizworks.org/catalyst-cohort to get on the interest list.
