Richard came to the Ice House Entrepreneurship Program at WorkSource to see if starting his own business was something he should even consider. "Could I succeed where so many others have failed? After Ice House, the answer is 'Yes, I can,'" he said. 

Richard is one of our first local job seekers to go through the new program. With funding from the Kauffman Foundation and the Bainbridge Graduate Institute, the WDC began offering the Ice House curriculum at WorkSource in March.

The program consists of 24 hours of instruction over four weeks. It teaches an entrepreneurial mindset and helps develop skills needed to succeed in starting a business. 

Richard recently started a full-time position, but he will still be working on starting his own photography and design business in his spare time using the skills he learned in the class. "It was challenging, made me think and was just an all-around valuable class," he said.

So far 10% of participants have found full-time employment, and 60% have gone on to more training to help start their businesses. One business has opened and several others are expected to within the next month.