Start Dakota, Episode 18: CO.STARTERS Bootcamp Explained
Posted February 3, 2024
You’ve heard about our CO.STARTERS business accelerator, and you’ve hopefully also heard about our new software accelerator. But what if you aren’t ready for a 10-week commitment yet? That’s where CO.STARTERS Weekend Bootcamp comes in — a four-part weekend intensive with a mission of helping aspiring entrepreneurs take action. On the latest episode of Start Dakota, Amos Buelow sat down with two entrepreneurs who have firsthand experience with the bootcamp: Terry Liggins and Brady Barr.
Liggins is the founder of two startups, including The Hurdle Life Coach Foundation, which provides coaching and mentorship to at-risk youth. Barr is the founder of Allergy Aware, a nonprofit working with restaurants to provide public allergy menus.
Liggins served as a facilitator for the most recent weekend bootcamp in October 2023. The bootcamp is broken into four sessions — Discover, Promote, Build and Launch — and Liggins describes it as an excellent condensed version of the original 10-week program: “The bootcamp is an accelerated version of the CO.STARTERS Core program… the information from that bootcamp would give them what they would need to really bring more clarity to the mystery.”
Liggins emphasizes the importance of community and mentorship: “Businesses often fail because entrepreneurs are trying to do it alone. You have to build a team around you, not just team members, but advisors and mentors.”
For Barr, the bootcamp offered an opportunity to dip his toes into entrepreneurship: “I’ve been wanting to get involved with Startup Sioux Falls for a long time… It’s such a cool community because every conversation that you start with people, everybody’s just so excited about everything.” Barr appreciated the diversity of participants and says anyone with any kind of idea should sign up: “Anyone that wants to be in this space of entrepreneurship and has some kind of idea … anybody that wants to be involved should sign up for bootcamp.”
Show Notes:
- Connect with Terry and Brady on LinkedIn.
- Apply now or join the waitlist for CO.STARTERS Weekend Bootcamp.
This project is made possible through a partnership with Startup Sioux Falls and grant funding provided through the Community Navigator Pilot Program, powered by the SBA. More information can be found on our resources page.