FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Dr. Megan Allen, Co-Founder

The Sphere Northampton 

megan@spherenorthampton.com

413-282-7092

No More Playing Small: Meet The Sphere Northampton’s Spring 2026 Mindshift Business Accelerator Cohort

Northampton, MA — April 10, 2026 — The Sphere Northampton, a nonprofit entrepreneurial support hub dedicated to advancing an inclusive small-business ecosystem in Western Massachusetts, is proud to announce the members of its Spring 2026 Mindshift Business Accelerator cohort.

The eight-week intensive program equips women and nonbinary entrepreneurs with the tools, skills, and peer support needed to launch, stabilize, and grow their businesses. Participants strengthen business planning, leadership, marketing, and financial management — and leave with a viable business plan, a working financial model, and a network of peers and mentors behind them.

“When we first put the portraits of those 17 women in that window on Main Street, we wanted Northampton to see what we already knew — that this community is full of brilliant, resilient entrepreneurs who just needed to be seen and connected. This cohort is proof that we’re doing exactly that. These are real businesses, real people, and real momentum. I couldn’t be more excited to watch them take off.”

— Christina Webster, Co-Founder, The Sphere Northampton

About the Program

The Mindshift Accelerator is a cornerstone of The Sphere’s year-round technical assistance programming. In addition to the eight-week curriculum, cohort members receive:

• Eight weeks of weekly peer-mentoring sessions following the accelerator

• Access to free monthly programming including Financial Fridays, Marketing Mondays, and workshops throughout the year

• Workshops and coaching on financial healthy habits and data-driven decision-making, hosted by Money Map Coaching 

• Three months of free membership to the Sphere Innovation Lab coworking space, including access to a professional workspace, technology library, printing, and business resources

The program serves primarily operating businesses while maintaining an on-ramp for founders in the earliest stages. It intentionally centers women, gender expansive, and nonbinary entrepreneurs.

Meet the Spring 2026 Cohort

The Sphere is proud to welcome the following entrepreneurs to this cohort:

Jupiter Dior is a founder, creative director, and architect of elevated experiences at the intersection of beauty, ritual, culture, and community. Their work centers intentional design, sensuality, and self-devotion, transforming everyday practices into refined expressions of identity and connection. With a vision rooted in quality, cultural resonance, and embodiment, they redefine beauty as a premium act of devotion to one’s own essence. Their business, Celeste Skin, is a premium skincare brand providing our users a results oriented ritual to bring them into deeper devotion to themselves.

Amber Ladley helps small businesses and solopreneurs turn ideas into clear digital strategies and creative marketing concepts. With decades of experience and a fresh perspective, she offers brainstorming sessions, tech coaching, online strategy, and handmade marketing, bringing together digital and real-world experiences to create meaningful connections. Her calm, collaborative style makes strategy and tools feel approachable, fun, and ready to use. 

Natalie Georges is a strategist and brand leader who helps values-driven organizations turn identity into connection. She brings more than 25 years of experience guiding institutions through brand evolution, audience growth, and cross-functional alignment. As the founder of TraitMark, she leads work rooted in the belief that clarity of purpose and authenticity are the strongest drivers of trust, engagement, and long-term impact.

Amanda Clark is the founder and owner of ZILCH. ZILCH is a zero-waste store and refillery that makes sustainable living simple and accessible. Shop pantry staples, home cleaners, and personal care, all package-free and in bulk, so you can buy exactly what you need—no more, no less. Our mission is to eliminate waste one household at a time. Whether you’re just getting started or already low-waste, you belong here.

Kristen Peterson brings over 20 years of leadership experience in independent and boarding schools where she led schoolwide strategy for student wellbeing, advising programs, and faculty development. In 2025, she founded AWren Advisors, an educational consulting firm focused on academic, college, and wellbeing support for students and families, while also partnering with schools on professional learning and community-building initiatives. Driven by a belief that meaningful connection is the heart of the work, whether navigating transitions, celebrating growth, or simply being present for all the moments in between, Kristen creates spaces where students, families, and educators feel truly seen, known, and supported.

Venus Wong is a licensed psychologist (PhD, BCBA) with advanced training in data analytics and a track record of working across rural and urban health systems to improve care access. She and her team build AI enabled geospatial analytics that help healthcare and public sector leaders understand care needs, supply, and gaps and make faster, more informed decisions without needing deep technical expertise. Her work sits at the intersection of policy and implementation, translating complex data into practical strategies that drive sustainable impact for underserved communities.

Marissa Rose-Weiss is the founder of The Teamwork Shop, where she helps people who work on teams see what’s really driving team friction. She makes the invisible patterns shaping work visible, which makes teamwork problems solvable. Her work creates clarity that leads to more effective, aligned teams.

Anne Ellen Geller is the sole proprietor of Bear Crossing Flower Farm, a micro flower farm tucked between Burke and Fitzgerald Lake conservation areas in Florence, MA. The farm’s crops include specialty zinnias from small hybridizers, a wide range of edible flowers, including Italian pansies and violas, and over 150 different dahlias. Bouquets and edible flowers are currently sold in season at SIP413 and by order. IG: @bearcrossingflowerfarm and email: bearcrossingflowerfarm@gmail.com

The Reverend Hannah Grace is an ordained Interfaith minister and the founder of Grace Ceremonies. For over 13 years Hannah has served as an Officiant, Guide and Counselor to hundreds of clients throughout New England and across the country. From premarital conversations to wedding ceremonies, baby blessings to funeral services, women’s rites of passage to coaching for friend- and family- officiants, Hannah helps mark the moments that matter.

Suna Turgay is owner operator of Flowerwork Farm. She has been growing for 20 years and enjoys creating accessible outdoor spaces where she can connect with people of different backgrounds, needs, and abilities through nature. 

Maheen Labrie is the founder of a woman-owned jewelry business specializing in permanent jewelry and custom engraving. She started this business during COVID while fostering children, creating meaningful pieces to give them a sense of identity and connection during a difficult time. What began as something deeply personal has grown into a business serving clients through pop-ups, private events, and bookings over the past two years. Her work focuses on creating jewelry that represents relationships, milestones, and personal stories.

Luna Kálon is a behavioral health specialist, Reiki practitioner, and virtual artist deeply passionate about healing, creativity, and personal transformation. She believes in the powerful connection between mind, body, and spirit, and uses her skills to create meaningful experiences that inspire growth and self-expression. Her goal is to create a safe and uplifting space where people feel seen, supported, and encouraged to thrive.

Arya Samuelson is a queer femme writer dedicated to unearthing the stories of the body and transforming them into art. She works as a developmental editor, educator, and creative coach, blending trauma-informed somatic pedagogy with a generative & holistic approach to creativity, and to help writers — and those afraid to call themselves writers — discover the story beneath the story. she is currently writing a memoir, a book of essays, and a novel.