Community Carrot provides a comprehensive approach to helping our participants design and launch new small businesses as a pathway to breaking the cycle of poverty.

Support: Ranging from finding a stable home to improving a credit score, and/or receiving mental health supports.

Educate: Classes cover the complete range of business education subjects, including market research, marketing, financial stewardship, and business organizational structures.  The curriculum is taught over 12 weeks and draws on NextLevel curriculum as a foundation for its development.

Iterate: Participants develop a lean canvas plan and pitch their business idea in front of judges.  They learn to ask questions and learn from mentors and networks to improve on their ideas and further develop their business models and plans.

Mentor: Carrot partners participants with successful professionals who have a proven ability to start, build and lead companies or offer a skilled service needed. For example: a participant started a micro-business custom-designing bicycles. The participant was provided a mentor who was a retired bicycle shop owner.

We serve underrepresented, latent entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 24.  All participants come from Seattle’s low-income neighborhoods and live at or under the poverty level. If they fall into these categories, they are more at-risk than most of the population at large.

Prospective candidates complete an assessment to determine fit for the program and innate entrepreneurial talents. This assessment includes questions to identify whether applicants possess an innate entrepreneurial mindset (thought to be held by 10 to 15% of the global population). High scoring applicants are then interviewed to confirm they have the time commitment necessary to complete the program, prior to selection.