Welcome to Uptima Entrepreneur Cooperative
The only cooperative community for and by entrepreneurs
Welcome to Uptima Entrepreneur Cooperative
The only cooperative community for and by entrepreneurs
Own Your Future
Uptima Entrepreneur Cooperative provides holistic and culturally relevant education, advising, and community to support diverse entrepreneurs in creating thriving businesses in service to their communities. Learn more about our programs.
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Bootcamps
Short courses to support freelancers, independent artists, and small business owners in developing their business model, defining their social impact, and laying the foundation to thrive.
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Academy
Year-long entrepreneurship certificate program to support small business owners in creating plans, improving operations, accessing capital, and developing leadership capabilities to build resilient businesses with social impact.
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Business Advising
Long-term business advising provided in collaboration with mission-aligned partners to support small business owners in growing and keeping their businesses in their communities.
Our Locations
Member Success Stories
Following Her Passion:
Ariana Marbley
Ariana Marbley founded Esscents of Flowers, an Oakland-based floral business. Through our relationship with The Runway Project and Kiva, Ariana was able to raise $30,000 to create a mobile floral business. Find out how Ariana got started.
A Modern Lemonade Stand:
Vicktor Stevenson
Vicktor Stevenson founded Gourmonade, a San Francisco-based gourmet lemonade business. Vicktor learned the art of bartending in order to apply mixology in creating unique lemonade flavors. Find out how Vicktor to turn his concept into a permanent lemonade stand.
Supporting Black-Owned Businesses: YaVette Holts
YaVette Holts founded the Bay Area Organization of Black-Owned Businesses (BAOBOB), a network for black-owned businesses. Find out how BAOBOB helps businesses and customers be intentional with how they spend their money, keeping dollars circulating within the African-American community.
What members are saying…
It was truly the single most important class that I have ever taken without exaggeration—including my formal academic graduate work. I’ve never before been in a class that so instantaneously established that it was critical to bring your complete self to the table in order to succeed. It is profound, what this “seeing of yourself”, can produce—clarity, confidence, and drive.
Uptima Business Bootcamp came into my life right as I needed it. I was in the process of starting a creative business and was for the first time representing people other than myself. In a short time, I’ve been able to wrap my head around fundamental concepts necessary to embark on an endeavor of this magnitude and have found a supportive community of social entrepreneurs looking to do the same thing.
As someone who has started a few business ventures in the past, including a nonprofit organization and a national consulting practice, being a part of Uptima Business Bootcamp helped take Prof360 to a different level. In a large part, because of Uptima Business Bootcamp Prof360 is being built on a solid foundation that will ensure our ongoing success.
It is like getting an MBA in 9 months. The program offers exceptional curriculum and business tools unavailable to most small business owners. That combined with the carefully selected, inspiring and supportive business owners makes the program unparalleled to anything currently available.
Uptima’s Impact
725
Entrepreneurs Served
698
Jobs Created
$ 5,730,346
Funding Received by
Businesses We Support
Our Mentors
Upcoming Courses
| Program | Enrollment Period | Application Deadline | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Be Your Own Boss Course | Fall 2020 | 10/30/2020 | Online |
| Entrepreneurship Academy | Winter 2021 | 1/8/2021 | Boston, Oakland, San Francisco |
| Freelancer Course | Winter 2021 | 1/22/2021 | Boston, Oakland, San Francisco |
| Explore Your Idea Course | Winter 2021 | 1/22/2021 | Boston, Oakland, San Francisco |
The Community Network Effect
One of the most powerful things about our accelerator is our community network. The network is a valuable resource that connects you with a diverse community of peers, mentors, and partner organizations who will support you throughout your entire entrepreneurial journey.
Upcoming Courses
| Courses/Classes | Location | Starts | Apply By | Duration | Mentors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manage Your Numbers Course | Online | March 31 | 05/15/2020 | 6 weeks | |
| Know Your Numbers Course | Online | April 1 | 09/04/2020 | 6 weeks | Mike Gabriel |
| Brand Your Business Course | Online | March 29 | 01/08/2021 | 6 weeks | Ivellisse Morales |
| Brand Your Business Course | Online | April 1 | 01/08/2021 | 6 weeks | |
| Go to Market Strategy Course | Oakland | March 29 | 03/05/2021 | 6 weeks | Fyodor Ovchinnikov |
| Go to Market Strategy Course | Boston | March 29 | 03/05/2021 | 6 weeks | J Gustavo, Taelyr Roberts |
| Go to Market Strategy Course | San Francisco | April 1 | 03/05/2021 | 6 weeks | Marcus Thomas |
| Freelancer Course | Oakland | March 30 | 03/05/2021 | 6 weeks | Wendy Martinez Marroquin |
| Freelancer Course | San Francisco | March 30 | 03/05/2021 | 6 weeks | Suzanne Yada |
| Freelancer Course | Boston | March 30 | 03/05/2021 | 6 weeks | Joëlle Fontaine, Charles Irving Henderson |
| Freelancer Course | San Francisco | April 1 | 03/05/2021 | 6 weeks | Kathren Murrell Stevenson, Jessica Ayden Li |
| Be Your Own Boss Course | Online | March 30 | 03/19/2021 | 4 weeks | Nicole Middleton |