SBDC announces date for second 2024 DreamBuilder program

The 27 graduates of the first 2024 DreamBuilder program celebrate their achievement with staff from the SBDC at EAC, Congressman Ciscomani's office and the Thunderbird School of Global management. - David Bell Photo/Gila Valley Central

THATCHER — There was so much demand for this year’s Graham County DreamBuilder program, the Small Business Development Center at Eastern Arizona College is rolling out a second program later this summer.

The second 2024 Graham County DreamBuilder program will begin with a kick-off meeting Sept. 4, from 10 a.m. to noon at the EAC Academic Programs Building, Room No. 275.

DreamBuilder was originally created as a Spanish-language program by Freeport-McMoRan and the Thunderbird School of Global Management at ASU in 2011, to help female entrepreneurs in Chile and Peru. It proved so successful, an English-language program was created and debuted worldwide.

DreamBuilder is a 10-week course that offers step-by-step information on how to start a business — everything from defining a concept and how to secure financing, to pricing and sales. At completion, all graduates have a functional business plan.

The SBDC at EAC is one of just 10 locations around the world that includes in-person classes with the online course work for DreamBuilder. That allows the SBDC to bring in guest speakers and instructors, who educated the participants on issues such as the process of finding a location for the business, accounting requirements and marketing.

“We’re actually being used as a model by the Arizona Commerce Authority, looking for some federal funding right now to expand DreamBuilder for all the SBDCs around the state of Arizona,” Eric Bejarano, the former director of the SBDC at EAC said during a June appearance on the Voice of the Valley radio show.

Cost of the program is $50 is participants can register online at DreamBuilder: Graham County (arizonasbdc.com).

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