BRATTLEBORO-The Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA) Small Business Cohort program was launched in January 2025 in collaboration with the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC). The purpose of the program is to create a peer support structure for new businesses, expanding businesses, and individuals hoping to start a new business.
Meeting monthly, the cohort combines networking opportunities with access to community resources, along with focused learning on topics such as social media marketing, promotion, and business operations.
Each session features subject matter experts - including lawyers, accountants, and other professionals - who provide an hour or more of in-depth knowledge, sharing, and facilitated discussion. Experts are drawn from the local community, strengthening both the educational value and the community-building mission of the program.
The Brattleboro cohort successfully completed 12 active sessions in 2025 - one per month - and continues to grow in 2026. Organizers say this success has led to new collaborations and the expansion of the program into additional Vermont communities.
In 2026, cohorts are scheduled to launch in Wilmington/Dover, Bellows Falls, and Springfield. The Wilmington/Dover cohort is sponsored by Wilmington Works and will take place on the second Tuesday of each month at 1 School Street, in the meeting room.
In addition to BDCC, professional partners supporting the cohort include the Richards Group and Community Capital of Vermont, providing participants with valuable expertise, guidance, and resources to support their business goals.
For more information, contact Samantha Kondracki from Wilmington Works at wilmingtonworks@gmail.com or Chris Meyer from SEVCA at cmeyer@sevca.org.
This Town and Village item was submitted to The Commons.