All Over Albany

BEYourStart Accelerator Program

Project: BEYourStart Accelerator Program, a fund to to finance the equipment or software needs of startups.

Who: Robert Braathe

Short bio
Robert Braathe has worked with countless startups throughout his career. He has been an entrepreneurship professor since 2010, led a entrepreneurship mentoring program at Skidmore College in 2013, and ran an accelerator program in Troy, New York in summer 2017. He has also volunteered and participated in a variety of Startup Weekends and initiatives to support startups.

We developed BEYourStart to create an environment where people of all ages can access startup resources, both locally and out of town, to grow their business without any cost and explore endless opportunities.

A description of the proposed project
Our goal is to create a fund to distribute amongst startups, more specifically, to finance the equipment or software needs for our program participants. Many organizations offer access to investors and funds, but the needs of startups are more often the basic operational needs to get going. We would use the funding to get companies access to resources they need.

We should get the funding because we aren't charging any fees for individuals to participate in our program, nor have we solicited any support from outside sponsors

How would the grant money help?
At Braathe Enterprises, we have developed an accelerator program to help individuals turn their visions into a reality. Our accelerator program, BE Your Start, would tremendously benefit from the AOA Startup Grant because it is offered as free of charge to any interested entrepreneur.

We strongly believe everyone deserves a chance at getting their idea off the ground and hope to offer mentorship, whether that be starting a business, further establishing the company, or even presenting funds to fulfill product/service orders. If we were to be awarded with the grant, we would provide additional assistance and guidance to aspiring entrepreneurs.

Our sole purpose is to give back to the clients. By offering financial support to achieve their startup goals, Braathe Enterprises would be encouraging and providing incentive to those who are wanting to pursue their own business. After all, that is our vision and what we tell clients, "Your start is our art. We start businesses, start projects, and start careers."