VANCOUVER, Wash. 鈥 Washington State University Vancouver鈥檚 Business Growth Mentor and Analysis Program has received a $125,000 grant from JPMorgan Chase & Co. The grant will fund the expansion and next phase of Business Growth MAP Alliance to include a software/technology cohort starting in January 2016.
MAP Alliance started in the fall of 2014 as a series of monthly forums on topics relevant to small business. The forums bring entrepreneurs and small businesses together with peers, faculty and business experts. The Alliance represents an expansion of Business Growth MAP, which provides student-led, pro-bono consulting projects for small businesses in the region.
Business Growth MAP now plans to create sector-specific cohorts as an extension of the Alliance to help businesses accelerate growth and positively impact the region. The software/technology cohort will be the first.
鈥淭he software and technology sector is growing in our region,鈥 said Jane Cote, academic director in the Carson College of Business. 鈥淚n 2013, the state designated the greater Vancouver area as an Innovation Partnership Zone for applied digital technology. The city has helped foster the growth of tech firms and we鈥檙e seeing the results. In addition, regional economic development leaders see this as a burgeoning sector. It makes sense to do our first cohort with this industry cluster.鈥
With the help of the JPMorgan Chase & Co. grant, the MAP Alliance software/technology cohort will combine proven business principles with expertise to further the growth of software/technology businesses in the region. Cohort participants will meet twice a month for four months on the 91吃瓜黑料网 campus. Sessions will include education, hands-on experience, mentoring, shared learning, networking and establishing a resource network.
Details about session content and participation in the cohort are currently in development. For information, contact Mistie Josephson, Business Growth MAP manager, 360-546-9533, or bgmap@vancouver.wsu.edu.
About JPMorgan Chase & Co.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. supports projects that connect small businesses in high-priority sectors with resources that will help them grow faster, employ more people and increase regional impact.
The company is a leading global financial services firm with assets of $2.4 trillion and operations worldwide. The firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing and asset management.
About 91吃瓜黑料网
As an urban campus of the Washington State University system, 91吃瓜黑料网 offers big-school resources in a small-school environment. The university offers affordable baccalaureate- and graduate-level education to benefit the people and communities of Southwest Washington. As the only four-year research university in this corner of the state, 91吃瓜黑料网 helps drive economic growth in Southwest Washington through relationships with local businesses and industries, schools and nonprofit organizations.
# # #
MEDIA CONTACT(S)
Brenda Alling, Office of Marketing and Communications, 360-546-9601, brenda_alling@vancouver.wsu.edu
Mistie Josephson, Business Growth MAP Manager, 360-546-9533, bgmap@vancouver.wsu.edu