The Town of Wendell, North Carolina, has teamed up with Wake Tech and other local partners to bring LaunchWENDELL to the community. The program is aimed at entrepreneurs and small business owners to develop and execute a business plan through an intensive 10-week course. After the course is completed, students are partnered with a local mentor, who helps provide additional insight and advice on how to run a successful business.
The Town of Wendell is looking for 10-20 qualified individuals to participate in the inaugural class. To qualify, students must meet the following requirements:
- Live or Work in the Wendell area;
- Demonstrate a need for financial and business resources;
- Consent to interview by the selection committee;
- Complete in-person business training once a week for 10 weeks;
- Develop a business plan and budget; and
- Meet and communicate regularly with an assigned business mentor for six months.
Those interested in the program may apply online at www.launchwendell.com no later than December 1, 2021. The selection process will include an interview that will be scheduled during December.
Those interested in applying may also attend one of three information sessions:
- Wednesday, November 3, 2021 @ noon
- Tuesday, November 9, 2021 @ 6pm
- Tuesday, November 16, 2021 @ 8am
Register to attend an information session at www.launchwendell.com.
Selected students will be required to attend 10 weeks (one session each week) of classes including an in-person orientation and graduation ceremony. The courses will be held at Grillbillies, located in downtown Wendell. Each class is three hours long and will be scheduled on Thursday evenings January 27-March 31, 2022. After the course is completed, students are paired with experienced local business owners who will act as mentors for another six months.
This program is made possible by the support of the following: Wake Technical Community College, the Wendell Chamber of Commerce, the Wendell Rotary Club, the Town of Wendell, Grillbillies, and many other community partners.
Source: Stephanie Smith, Town of Wendell
