Grow with your peers in Elevate Hennepin cohorts

Grow with your peers in Elevate Hennepin cohorts

Elevate Hennepin, through an investment from Hennepin County, offers a wide range of cohort-based programs designed to help entrepreneurs learn, plan, and grow with peers. To date, more than 400 business owners and entrepreneurs have graduated from Elevate Hennepin cohorts.

Brandon Bell, who oversees cohort programming in Elevate Hennepin, broke down what makes cohorts so powerful and how to find the right one for you and your business goals.

Q: What makes cohort programs such an important part of Elevate Hennepin?

Brandon: Cohorts are a high-touch way for us to support businesses. They’re focused on growth, but they’re also focused on building community. Being an entrepreneur can be a lonely journey—whether you’re just starting out or scaling nationally.

Cohorts pair education and expert facilitators, with a trusted group of peers who understand what you’re going through.

Check out a short video detailing cohorts in Elevate Hennepin.

Q: What’s the value of that peer network?

Brandon: It’s shared collective knowledge. You talk about your challenges, your solutions, your experiences. Someone in a different industry might see something you’re missing. That cross-industry perspective is highly valuable. And once the course is over, the community isn’t. People stay connected and keep building together.

Q: What are the cohort curriculums like?

Brandon: They’re built around where you are in your business. CEO Start is for people trying to launch or grow their new business. CEO Now is for established businesses with a focus on building a three- to five-year growth plan. HR Next focuses on recruitment, retention, and organizational culture. CEO Next is for businesses looking to grow regionally, nationally, or internationally. These are established, tested curriculums delivered by professional local facilitators.

Q: Who are the facilitators?

Brandon: All of our facilitators are local professionals. They are people who own businesses, have run businesses, or work closely with entrepreneurs. They’re trained in the curriculum and trained to encourage peer connection. They’re not there to lecture; they’re there to spark conversation and critical thinking.

Q: How should someone figure out which cohort is right for them?

Brandon: We put the requirements clearly on the website, and that’s the best place to start. If you’re unsure, reach out to the contact listed on the page. And if you want support and explore other resources too, an Elevate Hennepin Business Navigator can help.

Q: What should participants expect and how should they prepare?

Brandon: The biggest thing is being ready to set aside your time and show up. This isn’t a passive lecture series. You’re working with peers, sharing your experiences, and applying what you learn to your own business in real time. You’ll also discover the power of setting aside dedicated time to work on your business instead of just in it.

Q: What outcomes do you see after people complete a cohort?

Brandon: We’ve seen CEO Start participants launch businesses, win competitions, and grow. We’ve seen CEO Now businesses expand revenue growth and get into new markets, CEO Next graduates expand regionally, and HR Next graduates add employees. The results are real.