OUR MISSION
At Corner to Corner, a community-led nonprofit, historically underestimated entrepreneurs come together to launch small businesses by sharing knowledge, resources, and networks.
And we have some secret sauce that sets this program apart from others.
When you donate to Corner to Corner, you help launch more entrepreneurs right here in Nashville!
The Secret Sauce
Our nonprofit is community-led and community-located.
It all starts with the Connect List. Thousands of Nashvillians have added their email to this mailing list to gain access to networking opportunities, business tips, and most importantly to be notified when our application window opens for The Academy.
Because hundreds of applications flood in for each cohort, we utilize a computer-generated randomization process that selects applicants blindly to partake in The Academy.
We’ve had dozens of neighbors apply multiple times, never giving up hope that they would one day soon gain access to this life-changing program.
When you donate to Corner to Corner, your dollars helps us bring this program is more neighbors.
Neighbors who are randomly selected begin their 10-week journey through The Academy.
This program equips underestimated entrepreneurs with the knowledge, tools, and networks they need to plan, start, and grow their own small businesses.
Students learn business foundations like customer acquisition, accounting principles, legal structures and so much more. For 10 weeks, they meet once a week for classes that are led by former graduates and local business leaders.
Keeping the program community-led is vital to our mission because students are able to see themselves, see what is possible through their facilitators.
We go even deeper in community building by bringing in guest speakers, who are local business owners and subject matter experts (like accountants and lawyers), to expand our entrepreneurs’ professional network and provide insights that will help them avoid common pitfalls in early-start businesses.
Since its inception in 2016, The Academy has graduated 1,631 entrepreneurs, each in various stages of small business ownership and in 2024 alone, these entrepreneurs were responsible for putting $37.2 million back into the local economy.
We have been able to connect Academy Alumni with local partners like…
Vanderbilt University's
Impact Fund
News Channel 5+'s
The Corner to Corner Show
Belmont's Business Innovation
Lab's Impact Team
... and more!
After they dance across the stage at graduation, our entrepreneurs unlock a whole new level of opportunity.
The Academy Alumni program goes further than helping entrepreneurs launch their businesses; it helps them flourish as business owners.
This final phase of continued investment in our entrepreneurs is multifaceted, offering Academy Alumni access to additional educational resources, mentorship opportunities, and our pilot loan program, The Academy Invested.
Whether our entrepreneurs want to dive deeper into e-commerce, digital marketing, or business finances, this program offers classes they can take advantage of.
How is Corner to Corner doing it differently?
Three key touch points separate our program from the rest.
With 1,600+ and growing graduates, our Academy Alumni have formed a tight-knit, highly reliable network where businesses support one another. Like Dr. Miatta Hampton, who collaborated with fellow Academy Alumni Thomas Kelly (Creative Soulz Printing) and Eris Dowell (Dowell Embroidery) to help solidify her business’ branding.
As a nonprofit focused on supporting early start entrepreneurs, we have students who start The Academy with 0 business experience and a dream in their head. The foundations they learn set them up to turn that business dream into a money-making reality. Those same foundations have also helped entrepreneurs who have been in business for years finally begin to thrive and see a profit.
This is so much more than a 10-week program because business growth isn’t always linear, and we are dedicated to launching businesses that will flourish and serve our entrepreneurs, not fade away. By providing continued education opportunities for graduates to tap into, as well as mentorship and loan opportunities, we are creating a community that reminds connected as we grow!
To keep The Academy changing lives in and around Nashville, we need the support of our neighbors – like you!
Whether it’s $15 or $500 or $5,000,000 (we can dream!) all of our donor’s dollars go right back into the Nashville neighborhood to support local businesses.