Stepping Stones

The Builders + Backers Stepping Stone Intensive

A year-long program for select Builders who have completed the Idea Accelerator Program, designed to help them fully launch a viable business and set them on a path to growth

Read About Our 2024 Cohort
Stepping Stones Crew in classroom talking with Donna Harris

Foundations

Building on the foundation laid in the Idea Accelerator the Stepping Stones Program provides the next layer of new venture support in the form of a 3-day intensive workshop, including customized planning, engagement with experts and intensive mentoring, followed by a cadence of check-ins at regular intervals in the months that follow.

Objectives

To put every Builder on a path to growth, which means: ‍

  • Formally launch a business
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  • Become an employer in the community, creating a minimum of 3 jobs
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  • Have a plan and pathway to grow to $1M in revenue
STEPPING STONES

Accelerate Your Idea
Accelerate Your Growth

The Builders + Backers Stepping Stone Intensive is not just a program, it's a transformative journey designed to turn budding ideas into flourishing businesses. By participating in this program, Builders receive focused mentorship, strategic planning tools, and engagement with industry experts -- invaluable resources that accelerate the transition from concept to launch.

Participants are set on a definitive path to become significant community contributors, with the goal of creating at least three local jobs. More than just a startup incubator, the Stepping Stone program helps each Builder envision the pathway to hit the coveted $1M revenue mark and then develop a tangible action plan to make it reality. With the Stepping Stone Intensive, Builders don't just dream big, they achieve big.
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Builders + Backers Stepping Stones 2023

Previous and Current Cohorts

The Builders + Backers Stepping Stone Intensive is not just a program, it's a transformative journey designed to turn budding ideas into flourishing businesses. By participating in this program, Builders receive focused mentorship, strategic planning tools, and engagement with industry experts -- invaluable resources that accelerate the transition from concept to launch.

2023 Cohort

The inaugural Stepping Stones cohort launched in 2023 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with a diverse group of 10 Builders. Each participant hailed from a previous Idea Accelerator cohort and represented various industries: including consumer packaged goods (CPG), healthcare and technology, apparel, e-commerce, education, politics, food and beverage, sports, and marketing. During the program, an additional $100K of funds were deployed to support these Builders. This injection of capital empowered them to develop their ventures further, fueling innovation and progress.
Stepping Stones Sponsor - George Kaiser Family Foundation
Builders + Backers Stepping Stones 2023Builders + Backers Stepping Stones 2024

2024 Cohort

Since our inaugural program in 2023, the Stepping Stones program has experienced tremendous growth. In 2024, we expanded even further, equipping 12 Builders with $120K in funds to fuel the expansion of their ventures. These innovative entrepreneurs represented a diverse range of industries, including FinTech, Real Estate, Data Analytics, AI and ML, Media & Journalism, Green Technology, Sustainability, Electric Vehicles, Assistive Technology, UX, Social Impact, and Medical Technology. Together, they formed a dynamic and collaborative community, driving forward groundbreaking ideas and making a positive impact on society. The Stepping Stones Program continues to be a platform for transformation, propelling the growth and success of visionary entrepreneurs.
Stepping Stones Sponser - Heartland Forward

Empower Your Community, Empower Yourself: Register for the Stepping Stone Journey Today!

Stay Tuned For Upcoming Intensive