Innovation and hard work are in our community’s DNA.
Sweetwater originated in a Volkswagen Bus. Vera Bradley was founded in a basement. Do it Best Corp. sprang from a Fort Wayne resident’s vision and hustle. Now, all three are multi-million-dollar companies and are among Allen County’s top employers.
The Bridge Program creates a unique support system to help founders flourish. It’s the business community banding together to build the next generation of homegrown success stories.
Here’s how it works:
- Established companies (Bridge Sponsors) cover a portion of entrepreneurs’ GFW Inc. membership dues for five years
- Entrepreneurs receive all the benefits of a GFW Inc. investor, including:
- Networking events for vital business community collisions and leads
- Investor-only discounts to save cash
- Free access to our conference rooms for brainstorming sessions and key meetings
- Plus special business- and skill-focused coaching, tailored just for founders
- Allen County’s entrepreneurial ecosystem gets stronger, spurred by connections between startups and established companies