Entrepreneurship & Small Business Development
Economic EmpowermentUN SDG Alignment: SDG 8, SDG 5, SDG 10, SDG 4, SDG 17
The Gatsby Showcase Foundation’s Entrepreneurship & Small Business Development Program expands economic opportunity by equipping entrepreneurs especially women and underrepresented business owners with the tools, mentorship, and strategic support needed to build sustainable, growth- oriented enterprises.
Activities
This program directly advances the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by promoting inclusive economic growth, workforce opportunity, and entrepreneurship as pathways to long-term stability and dignity.
- SDG 8 (Decent Work & Economic Growth): supporting business formation, expansion, and job creation
- SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): removing systemic barriers to opportunity and capital access
- SDG 5 (Gender Equality): accelerating women-led enterprises and leadership
- SDG 4 (Quality Education): building practical business knowledge and skills
- SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): collaborating across sectors for scalable impact
Why This Matters
Entrepreneurship can transform families and communities, but too many promising entrepreneurs remain limited by barriers such as limited access to business training, mentorship, professional networks, and market opportunities.
The Gatsby Showcase Foundation addresses these gaps by providing capacity- building support that helps entrepreneurs build businesses that are not only profitable, but resilient.
This is economic empowerment with measurable outcomes aligned with SDG 8 and designed to reduce inequality in access to economic advancement (SDG10).
What We Do
1) Business Development Workshops (SDG 4 | SDG 8)
We deliver practical training designed to help entrepreneurs start, stabilize, and
scale, including:
- Business planning and operations
- Financial management and cash flow fundamentals
- Marketing, branding, and customer acquisition
- Legal and compliance basics
- Scaling systems: staffing, procurement, and growth strategy
- Our workshops are built around real-world application so participants leave with
actionable plans, not theory.
2) Mentorship for Entrepreneurs (SDG 8 | SDG 10 | SDG 17)
Mentorship bridges the gap between knowledge and execution. Through one-on- one and cohort-based mentorship, entrepreneurs gain access to:
- Experienced business leaders and operators
- Industry-specific guidance
- Feedback on growth strategy and execution plans
- Connections to partner networks and opportunity pipelines
This model advances SDG 17 by creating ecosystems of support through community and cross-sector partnerships.
3) Supporting Women Entrepreneurs (SDG 5 | SDG 8 | SDG 10)
Women-led businesses generate powerful economic and social returns, yet remain significantly underfunded and under-supported. Gatsby prioritizes women entrepreneurs by providing:
- Tailored mentorship and leadership development
- Business readiness support
- Clear pathways to capital and market access through aligned initiatives
This work is central to SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and strengthens communities
through economic inclusion (SDG 10) and business growth (SDG 8).
Who This Program Serves
- Entrepreneurs in early-stage and growth-stage businesses
- Women-owned and minority-owned small businesses
- Creatives and community-based enterprises
- Local DMV-based entrepreneurs, with scalable global models as partnerships
expand Pathway to Capital: Microgrants & Beyond (SDG 8 | SDG 10 | SDG 5) - This program is the foundation for long-term economic growth and may serve as a pathway into the Gatsby Microgrants Program, which provides targeted financial support to eligible businesses demonstrating readiness and impact
potential.
By pairing skills and strategy with pathways to capital, Gatsby strengthens:
- Job creation and enterprise growth (SDG 8)
- Opportunity access for marginalized communities (SDG 10)
- Women-led enterprise advancement (SDG 5)
How We Measure Impact (Accountability to SDGs)
We track results to ensure transparency and continuous improvement, including:
- Number of entrepreneurs trained and mentored (SDG 4)
- Business milestones achieved (registration, operations, scaling) (SDG 8)
- Jobs created or sustained (SDG 8)
- Participation rates for women and underserved entrepreneurs (SDG 5, SDG 10)
- Partnership expansion and community collaboration (SDG 17)
- Partner With Us (SDG 17)
We welcome partnerships with:
- Corporations and CSR teams
Government agencies and workforce programs - Universities and business schools
- Local community organizations
- International development and UN-aligned partners
Partnership is essential to scale impact and broaden opportunity.
Support This Program
When you support entrepreneurship, you help build lasting economic independence. Donor support expands access to:
- Workshops
- Mentorship cohorts
- Business readiness support
- Technical assistance and program growth
- Together, we advance economic empowerment aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
UN SDG Alignment: SDG 8, SDG 5, SDG 10, SDG 4, SDG 17
The Gatsby Showcase Foundation’s Entrepreneurship & Small Business Development Program expands economic opportunity by equipping entrepreneurs especially women and underrepresented business owners with the tools, mentorship, and strategic support needed to build sustainable, growth- oriented enterprises.
This program directly advances the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by promoting inclusive economic growth, workforce opportunity, and entrepreneurship as pathways to long-term stability and dignity.
- SDG 8 (Decent Work & Economic Growth): supporting business formation, expansion, and job creation
- SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): removing systemic barriers to opportunity and capital access
- SDG 5 (Gender Equality): accelerating women-led enterprises and leadership
- SDG 4 (Quality Education): building practical business knowledge and skills
- SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): collaborating across sectors for scalable impact
Why This Matters
Entrepreneurship can transform families and communities, but too many promising entrepreneurs remain limited by barriers such as limited access to business training, mentorship, professional networks, and market opportunities.
The Gatsby Showcase Foundation addresses these gaps by providing capacity- building support that helps entrepreneurs build businesses that are not only profitable, but resilient.
This is economic empowerment with measurable outcomes aligned with SDG 8 and designed to reduce inequality in access to economic advancement (SDG10).
What We Do
1) Business Development Workshops (SDG 4 | SDG 8)
We deliver practical training designed to help entrepreneurs start, stabilize, and
scale, including:
- Business planning and operations
- Financial management and cash flow fundamentals
- Marketing, branding, and customer acquisition
- Legal and compliance basics
- Scaling systems: staffing, procurement, and growth strategy
- Our workshops are built around real-world application so participants leave with
actionable plans, not theory.
2) Mentorship for Entrepreneurs (SDG 8 | SDG 10 | SDG 17)
Mentorship bridges the gap between knowledge and execution. Through one-on- one and cohort-based mentorship, entrepreneurs gain access to:
- Experienced business leaders and operators
- Industry-specific guidance
- Feedback on growth strategy and execution plans
- Connections to partner networks and opportunity pipelines
This model advances SDG 17 by creating ecosystems of support through community and cross-sector partnerships.
3) Supporting Women Entrepreneurs (SDG 5 | SDG 8 | SDG 10)
Women-led businesses generate powerful economic and social returns, yet remain significantly underfunded and under-supported. Gatsby prioritizes women entrepreneurs by providing:
- Tailored mentorship and leadership development
- Business readiness support
- Clear pathways to capital and market access through aligned initiatives
This work is central to SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and strengthens communities
through economic inclusion (SDG 10) and business growth (SDG 8).
Who This Program Serves
- Entrepreneurs in early-stage and growth-stage businesses
- Women-owned and minority-owned small businesses
- Creatives and community-based enterprises
- Local DMV-based entrepreneurs, with scalable global models as partnerships
expand Pathway to Capital: Microgrants & Beyond (SDG 8 | SDG 10 | SDG 5) - This program is the foundation for long-term economic growth and may serve as a pathway into the Gatsby Microgrants Program, which provides targeted financial support to eligible businesses demonstrating readiness and impact
potential.
By pairing skills and strategy with pathways to capital, Gatsby strengthens:
- Job creation and enterprise growth (SDG 8)
- Opportunity access for marginalized communities (SDG 10)
- Women-led enterprise advancement (SDG 5)
How We Measure Impact (Accountability to SDGs)
We track results to ensure transparency and continuous improvement, including:
- Number of entrepreneurs trained and mentored (SDG 4)
- Business milestones achieved (registration, operations, scaling) (SDG 8)
- Jobs created or sustained (SDG 8)
- Participation rates for women and underserved entrepreneurs (SDG 5, SDG 10)
- Partnership expansion and community collaboration (SDG 17)
- Partner With Us (SDG 17)
We welcome partnerships with:
- Corporations and CSR teams
Government agencies and workforce programs - Universities and business schools
- Local community organizations
- International development and UN-aligned partners
Partnership is essential to scale impact and broaden opportunity.
Support This Program
When you support entrepreneurship, you help build lasting economic independence. Donor support expands access to:
- Workshops
- Mentorship cohorts
- Business readiness support
- Technical assistance and program growth
- Together, we advance economic empowerment aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Activities