Eight entrepreneurs graduated from the sixth HustleSBE cohort, a bootcamp sponsored by the South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership.
The eight-session program focused on support for minorities and women in business. The applicant pool for the sixth class was 61% Black and 87% female.
“The passion and dedication these graduates have shown for building their business is an inspiration, and the connections they’ve made will prove invaluable,” said Bethany Hartley, president and CEO of the South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership, in a press release. “These entrepreneurs help make our Region a better place.”
The graduates included:
- Kathy Burnette, Brain Lair, South Bend
- Diana Castillo, Saca Los Tacos, Goshen
- Jamie Dietrich, Blue Adaptation, South Bend
- TaeLor Lake, Trophy Details, South Bend
- Gil Michel, Michiana Social, South Bend
- Elizabeth O’Leary, Undercover Popular, South Bend
- Sasha Rivera, Sky Spa, Goshen
- Jasmine Wall, The Imagination Spot, Goshen
“HustleSBE was a great experience,” said Wall, owner of Goshen’s The Imagination Spot. “Our facilitator, Jess Koscher, is full of knowledge, ideas and is an inspiration. I loved learning from all the speakers every week who are experts in their field. All the participants are in various stages of their business, and it was great to brainstorm together and learn from each other.”
Koscher, of Write Connections | strategy + design, is a graduate of the third cohort and led classes. Other speakers included: Jacqueline Barton of Specialized Staffing, Kyle Chamberlin with THK Law, Jenny Frech from Soapy Gnome and Alan Steele from the Indiana Small Business Development Center.
Participants were required to have been in business for a year. More than $40,000 has been allocated to graduates, according to the partnership's website.
