The Sphere Receives $50K Grant To Launch Business Accelerator Program in Westfield

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Dr. Megan Allen, Co-Founder and President
The Sphere Northampton
info@spherenorthampton.com
www.spherenorthampton.com

The Sphere Northampton Receives $50,000 Grant to Launch Business Accelerator Program in Westfield

Westfield, MA – June 17, 2025 — The Sphere Northampton is proud to announce it has been awarded a $50,000 grant to launch the Sphere Westfield Mindshift Business Accelerator, an intensive business development program designed to support low- to moderate-income (LMI) entrepreneurs in the Westfield community. The grant will enable The Sphere to expand its proven accelerator model to a city ready for growth, inclusion, and entrepreneurial momentum. This funding was awarded through the Westfield Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.

The Sphere Westfield Mindshift Business Accelerator will serve 10 local entrepreneurs directly through a robust 8-week training program that combines structured business education, individualized coaching, and access to essential professional services such as financial advising, branding, and legal support. In addition, the program’s outreach events and community-based workshops will reach and uplift more individuals across Westfield’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

“Westfield is full of untapped talent and potential,” said Dr. Megan Allen, Co-Founder and Board Chair of The Sphere Northampton. “This funding allows us to offer the kind of comprehensive, high-touch support that LMI entrepreneurs need to not only survive but thrive. We’re investing in the people who are ready to build the future of their community.”

Every participant in the accelerator will receive:

• 8 weeks of business planning, marketing, and financial training
• One-on-one coaching and customized goal-setting
• A three-month subscription to LIVEPLAN business software
• Financial stipends up to $1,900 per participant for local professional services
• Three months of post-program support and mentorship

This program builds on the success of the Blueprint for Business Accelerator series developed by Dee Dice and Kasey Corsello, which has supported over 30 small business owners in past Westfield cohorts. The Mindshift rebranding represents an expanded and enhanced curriculum, one that integrates entrepreneurial mindset work, leadership development, and emotional resilience alongside technical training. Dice and Corsello will be coaching this Accelerator as well.

“We’ve seen firsthand how powerful this model can be,” said Allen. “By embedding support, mentoring, and funding into a single experience—and making it accessible to those who need it most—we’re creating real pathways to sustainable business growth.”

The program will begin recruitment in late summer/early fall of 2025, with training to launch in November. Interested entrepreneurs and community partners can learn more at www.spherenorthampton.com.

About The Sphere Northampton
Founded in 2023, The Sphere Northampton is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating an inclusive, hyper-local business ecosystem that supports women, nonbinary, and historically underrepresented entrepreneurs in the Pioneer Valley. The organization has secured more than $390,000 in grant funding in over two years and has served over 700 entrepreneurs through educational programming, mentoring, and events. The Sphere is committed to economic empowerment, sustainability, and reimagining what business ownership can look like for everyone.