Start Garden

What is Start Garden?

Start Garden is an organization committed to fostering entrepreneurial success within a supportive community framework.

Based in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids, they provide various programs and resources tailored to assist entrepreneurs at different stages of their journey. They host the '5x5 Night,' a pitch competition open to anyone with a business idea.

Participants are given the opportunity to present their concepts to the public and judges for a chance to win grants that can propel their business ideas forward. The '100' is another initiative by Start Garden, funded through a consortium of banks offering a no-strings-attached financial boost to business proposals, recognizing the transformative potential of such support for some entrepreneurs.

Apart from these programs, Start Garden offers a coworking space that serves as a fertile ground for networking, sharing ideas, and business growth.

Their environment is designed to be inclusive — whether one is an established entrepreneur or someone with a nascent business idea. The organization firmly believes in the power of community and accessible resources in enabling entrepreneurs to test new ventures and scale existing ones.

By joining the Start Garden ecosystem, members gain access to valuable resources and a network of like-minded individuals, meant to support the ideation, creation, and expansion of business projects. Their support goes beyond funding; it is about integrating entrepreneurs into a vibrant business community where they can thrive and find the right fit for their business needs.