Participants of the 10th annual Calling All Dreamers program will join a cohort of entrepreneurs and be given a chance to receive a coveted startup package valued at nearly $120,000

Downtown Sacramento Foundation (DSF) is encouraging aspiring entrepreneurs to submit their big ideas in the 10th annual Calling All Dreamers retail business incubator for a chance to be awarded a coveted business startup package valued at nearly $120,000 – including $20,000 in cash – to open a storefront in downtown Sacramento. Applications can be submitted online at CallingAllDreamers.org from now through 5 p.m. PST on September 1, 2022.

Downtown Sacramento Foundation is making the first step of small business ownership easier for aspiring entrepreneurs by providing much-needed startup support. The new-and-improved program is designed to help transform big ideas into retail reality and/or help existing businesses looking to expand or open a new concept in downtown Sacramento, while cultivating a sense of community support. Selected applicants will participate in business development bootcamps that call for extensive planning, market research, and proof of financial sustainability. In an exciting twist this year, all participants who complete the program will also be awarded a cash prize of up to $5,000 each if they open a business downtown. The Calling All Dreamers incubator program joins a growing list of accelerator and incubator programs in the Sacramento region.

Leading the cohort through the process is a special selection committee formed by the Downtown Sacramento Foundation, including prominent business leaders and SCORE volunteers who help refine business concepts and improve business acumen. Ultimately, the committee will select the most viable candidate to receive the prize package to assist the successful launch of their downtown Sacramento storefront. The prize package – valued at nearly $120,000 – includes cash and in-kind services from contest sponsors, ranging from marketing and interior design to legal services and support to negotiate leasing terms for a downtown storefront.

KEY DATES

  • August 1 – Applications Open Online at CallingAllDreamers.org
  • September 1 – Applications Due by 5 p.m.
  • September 12 – Incubator Cohort Announced, Bootcamp Begins
  • December 3 – 4- Entrepreneurs Enter Business Alley — Public Voting Begins
  • March 2023 – SCORE Counseling Begins
  • May 2023 – Winner Announced

 

Learn More and Apply!

 

About The Calling All Dreamers Program

Since 2013, Calling All Dreamers has continued to drive economic growth in the heart of the Sacramento region. While the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted some of the past winners of the program, Calling All Dreamers has helped to launch more than two dozen local businesses.

Economic development, small business growth and community support are top priorities for the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, a Property Based Improvement District (PBID) focused on downtown Sacramento and sister organization to the DSF.

The Calling All Dreamers program is produced by Downtown Sacramento Partnership and presented by Kaiser Permanente, with the generous support of the Capital Corridor Chapter of SCORE, SMUD, California Bank of Commerce, and the Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship.

The valuable prize package is made possible due to support from sponsors who continue to be champions for the economic growth of the downtown core that include Marquee Media, Smith, McDowell & Powell Law Corporation, XSIGHT Productions, Inc. designTECH Interior Design Services, Inc., iHeart Media, Bizhaven, Be Your Business, and more. Partnership opportunities are still available for local businesses able to donate much-needed accounting, and website administrative support. Businesses interested in helping to make a difference by donating services are encouraged to contact Tania Perez Muskopf, Business Development Manager, at tmuskopf@downtownsac.org or 916- 442-8575.

Former Calling All Dreamer winners currently operating shops and storefronts in downtown Sacramento include: Nash & Proper (2019), NEO Escape Rooms (2018) and The Allspicery (2015). Also, former Calling All Dreamers finalists currently operating shops and storefronts in Sacramento include the following: Jazzy Bird, Cerealism, Leash & Collar, The Kitchen Table and Pure Soul.

For more information about the Calling All Dreamers competition and/or how to apply, please visit www.CallingAllDreamers.org.