SQUARE1, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is an entrepreneur education and accelerator providing resources to a range of individuals and organizations seeking personal and professional growth. We have been supporting the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region’s startups and growth-minded companies since 2012. SQUARE1 started because we were tired of seeing good people and ideas slip through the cracks. We have trained and coached over 100 individuals, many of which are currently running growing companies. Our clients have achieved millions in revenue and support dozens of employees.

Our mission is to uncover, educate, support, and inspire emerging entrepreneurs. Our programs provide coaching, curriculum, mentorship, tools, resources, and connections that significantly improve the chances of entrepreneurial success.

UNCOVER

Whether it is finding entrepreneurs or revealing the entrepreneurial spirit within, SQUARE1 delivers programs that breed innovative thinking. We work in our schools to plant the seed and sometime launch student-led startups. We teach organizations to “Think Like An Entrepreneur” by developing an innovative culture to catalyze the entrepreneur within their employees. In the community, we guide startups in revealing customers and discovering sales opportunities.

EDUCATE

The SQUARE1 Startup Scholars Program teaches high school students the key skills of entrepreneurship including opportunity recognition, presentation skills, critical thinking, communication skills, time management, teamwork, and confidence. As with all our programs, we focus on diversity and inclusion by reaching out to a broad population no matter religion, race, income, or otherwise; and hope to establish entrepreneurship as a tool to help the underprivileged overcome. SQUARE delivers in school, afterschool, and summer programs as well as creating internship opportunities.

Our Velocity platform allows growth-oriented entrepreneurs to hone their business and provides direct engagement with potential customers seeking to work with small, disadvantage, or minority-led organizations.

Our Ignition program is a startup/pre-accelerator program to validate ideas, connect with customers, and help navigate the entrepreneur ecosystem so clients can quit their day jobs.

SUPPORT

SQUARE1’s MVP/software development and innovation program assists companies in launching new technologies or tech-enabling their businesses. Participants are encouraged to submit an application to regional accelerators and SQUARE1 will assist with the application process.

INSPIRE

Understanding the entrepreneur’s skill set and having an innovative mindset can change lives. We focus our work on people that are not getting the attention needed to change their circumstances. This could be students in an underprivileged school system, entrepreneurs with an idea that does not fit the “venture backable” mold that tends to get all the attention and funding, or a disadvantaged entrepreneur that doesn’t have the network to support their efforts.

Ideas can launch, businesses can grow, and students can thrive when they start at SQUARE1.