The Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation will launch a cohort of its eBridge Business Academy, a rebrand of its Blueprint Business Program, on Jan. 13. The business fundamentals course for entrepreneurs and early-stage small business owners will run through Feb. 24 and will be taught in Spanish.
With more than 350 graduates to date, the program helps participants strengthen core business skills and apply practical tools to improve how they plan, market, sell and manage day-to-day operations. Alumni include owners of several Brownsville favorites, including Jolie Petite, Todo Natural, Main Street Deli, Búho Bookstore, Warbler Coffee and La Pale.
The eBridge Business Academy continues the same focus as the Blueprint Business Program on fundamentals while aligning the program name more closely with eBridge and BCIC’s broader entrepreneurship programming. The academy is based on UTRGV ECC’s Kauffman FastTrac curriculum and focuses on business planning and goal setting, market positioning and customer discovery, marketing and sales fundamentals, financial management and forecasting basics, and launch preparation and next-step planning.
This cohort takes place at the eBridge Center for Business and Commercialization (1304 E. Adams Street) in Brownsville. To accommodate different schedules and learning preferences, the course will also offer about a dozen additional sessions in other formats, including sprint-style options. The program is open to entrepreneurs and small business owners who are in the early stage of building or formalizing their business.
The UTRGV Entrepreneurship & Commercialization Center will facilitate the academy.