CLINTON, Iowa — Grow Clinton, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting business growth, building community, and advocating for sustainable economic success, has announced a partnership with the New Bohemian Innovation Collaborative, Inc. (NewBoCo), headquartered in Cedar Rapids.
Through this collaboration, Grow Clinton will expand and strengthen entrepreneurship, innovation, and technology-focused support services for local businesses, helping entrepreneurs become more resilient and competitive in an ever-changing economy.
Founded in 2022, Grow Clinton’s EntreFuel initiative supports existing business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs by addressing common pitfalls and increasing the likelihood of long-term success. Since its launch, EntreFuel has worked with dozens of locally owned businesses, guiding business finance, customer discovery, marketing strategies, site selection, succession planning, and professional networking.
Grow Clinton said members already benefit from connections to local financial institutions, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and the Iowa Small Business Development Center. Through the new partnership, members will now gain access to NewBoCo’s statewide network of mentors, coaches, and entrepreneurial programming.
Since its 2014 inception, NewBoCo has worked to build a strong foundation for a sustainable, world-class innovation ecosystem in Iowa. The organization offers access to financial capital, mentorship, coaching, and community. It achieves this through event offerings such as EntreFEST and 1 Million Cups, and by providing consulting opportunities and structured programs designed to specifically help entrepreneurs, creatives, and technologists bring their ideas to life.
“Grow Clinton is pumped to partner with NewBoCo,” Andy Sokolovich, president and CEO of Grow Clinton, said in a news release Monday, Jan. 5. “As a membership-based economic and community development organization, our relevance depends on demonstrating a return on investment for our members. This partnership enhances a business’s chances of success by filling critical knowledge gaps and connecting entrepreneurs to proven resources.”
New networking event
NewBoCo also expressed its excitement for the new partnership. “Our goal is to augment the area’s economic development by enhancing startup and small business efforts through entrepreneurial coaching, mentoring, education, programming, and activities,” said Alex Taylor, director of Entrepreneurship for NewBoCo.
Beginning this year, Grow Clinton and NewBoCo plan to launch a peer-to-peer entrepreneur networking event titled “Brew It. Build It!” The event will bring together entrepreneurs at various stages of their business journey to engage in candid conversations about strengths, challenges, and growth opportunities.
“The goal is to identify what keeps entrepreneurs up at night,” said Matt Parbs, Grow Clinton’s vice president of Community & Economic Development. “We want to encourage collaboration, capture best practices, and help businesses avoid costly mistakes that can stall growth.”
As a result of the partnership, Grow Clinton members will be introduced to additional NewBoCo programming, including the Iowa Startup Accelerator, NewBoCo Studios, and the ISA Ventures partnership; many of which are available at zero cost.
