West Arapahoe News

The City of Centennial, in partnership with Farm-to-Spaceship, have launched the 2023 Spark Centennial Experience Accelerator. Available as a six-month development program, the Spark Centennial Experience Accelerator provides participants a sandbox to create, prototype and test experiential ideas and new business models to help entrepreneurs create meaningful customer connections through for-sale experience. The City invites local businesses, entrepreneurs, sole proprietors, makers and creatives in Centennial to register online for the 2023 program cohort by April 24.

“The best thing we've learned is how to include customers that would have otherwise not visited our shop,” said Amanda Sullivan, founder of Piney Creek Yarn, who participated in the Spark Centennial Experience Accelerator cohort in 2022.

In 2022, participants in the Spark Centennial Experience Accelerator experienced over $13,000 in sales generated collectively in the prototyping phase, four sold-out experiences, more than 530 community members engaged, and 90% of the cohort reached new audiences with prototypes. Check out the list of businesses who participated in last year’s program and the experiences they prototyped as part of this program.

“The Spark program was just what my small business needed to grow in my first year, said Jessica Austin, founder of Mrs. Fancy Plants, who participated in the Spark Centennial Experience Accelerator cohort in 2022. “I'm so grateful for the opportunity to meet all of the other small business owners in the cohort!” 

Additional information about the program is available at centennialco.gov/spark.

About Spark Centennial Experience Accelerator

The Spark Centennial Experience Accelerator program provides the tools – as well as funding – to inspire business owners and entrepreneurs to reshape their business value. Program benefits include workshops, mentorship, expert insights, and access to networks, as well as opportunities to secure up to $2,000 or other non-monetary offerings. The program is open to all businesses, entrepreneurs, sole proprietors, makers and creatives in Centennial. Visit centennialco.gov/spark for more details and to apply today.

Original source can be found here.