Montgomery County
YOU ARE AT / TRAINING / MASTERCLASS
Start Date
January 20, 2027
13 Interconnected Executive Sessions
Duration
2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Master Class Fee
$0
This program is funded by federal grants from the SBA, and the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development
INFORMATION SESSIONS
Business owners interested in joining the 2027 cohort are encouraged to attend an upcoming information session below. Learn about the program's objectives, curriculum, eligibility requirements, participant expectations, and application process.
Register for an information session here:
Selected participants will receive the executive education program at no tuition or instructional cost, removing a significant financial barrier to accessing high-quality business growth education.
Eligible businesses may also apply for microgrants of up to $5,000 through the Pennsylvania Southeast Business Assistance Center (PA SEBAC), administered by Greenline Access Capital. Funding is subject to eligibility requirements, application approval, and availability.
Additional potential County financial assistance remains subject to approval and funding availability. Participation in IGNITE does not guarantee a grant award.
The program begins on January 20, 2027, and concludes June 30, 2027.
IGNITE YOUR BUSINESS
From Business Owner to Growth CEO
You’ve Built a Business. Now Build Its Future! A results-driven executive education program designed for established small business owners ready to move beyond day-to-day operations and lead their next stage of strategic growth. Developed and delivered by Widener University SBDC, this practical, case-based program equips business owners with the leadership skills, strategic insights, financial discipline, and resources needed to accelerate revenue growth, improve profitability, expand into new markets, and build long-term business value. Through 13 interactive sessions, participants work **on their businesses, not just in them**, alongside a select cohort of fellow CEOs and business owners. With expert guidance, peer collaboration, and hands-on learning, each participant develops an actionable Three-Year Strategic Growth Path—a clear roadmap for sustainable growth and lasting success.
INFORMATIONAL SESSIONS
Business owners interested in joining the 2027 cohort are encouraged to attend an upcoming information session below. Learn about the program's objectives, curriculum, eligibility requirements, participant expectations, and application process.
Register for an information session here:
Selected participants will receive the executive education program at no tuition or instructional cost, removing a significant financial barrier to accessing high-quality business growth education.
Eligible businesses may also apply for microgrants of up to $5,000 through the Pennsylvania Southeast Business Assistance Center (PA SEBAC), administered by Greenline Access Capital. Funding is subject to eligibility requirements, application approval, and availability.
Additional potential County financial assistance remains subject to approval and funding availability. Participation in IGNITE does not guarantee a grant award.
The program begins on January 20, 2027, and concludes June 30, 2027.
PROGRAM COMPONENTS
Business Growth
Self-Assessment™
Understand Where You Stand.
Discover Where You Can Grow.
A structured assessment helping owners understand their company's current performance, growth opportunities, strengths, and challenges.
CEO
Advisory Groups
Learn from Peers.
Grow Together.
Running a business can be isolating. CEO Advisory Groups create a confidential, collaborative environment where participants can work on their businesses, challenge their assumptions, evaluate growth opportunities, and strengthen their leadership capabilities.
Expert Guidance &
1:1 Consulting
Personalized Expertise to
Accelerate Your Growth.
Personalized business advising, industry expertise, and technical assistance to help participants address challenges and implement growth strategies.
Three-Year Strategic
Growth Path™
Turn Your Vision into a
Roadmap for Growth.
A progressive, hands-on planning process where participants develop their growth strategy, establish priorities, and build an actionable three-year roadmap.
You’ve Built a Business. Now Build Its Future.
Running a successful business and leading its next stage of growth require different skills, perspectives, and capabilities. As companies mature, owners face increasingly complex decisions: Where should they focus growth? Which opportunities deserve investment? Can the business finance expansion? Does the organization have the people, systems, and leadership capacity to succeed?
Too often these decisions compete with everyday demands. IGNITE Your Business helps established owners move from managing daily operations to leading deliberate, financially informed, sustainable growth.
Through 13 interconnected executive learning sessions, business owners work on their businesses, not just in them, alongside experienced instructors, business advisors, and a trusted cohort of fellow owners and CEOs. They develop a customized Three-Year Strategic Growth Plan that connects ambition to informed decisions and implementation.
Who is it for?
IGNITE Your Business is designed for established Montgomery County businesses ready to pursue their next stage of growth.
Applicants should meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Be located in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
- Generate between $150,000 and $10 million in annual gross revenue.
- Have operated for at least three years.
- Employ at least one full-time-equivalent employee in addition to the owner.
- Be led by an owner or CEO with strategic decision-making authority and a commitment to active program participation.
20 businesses will be selected through a competitive application and readiness review process.
More Than Training. A Roadmap for Growth.
More Than Training. A Roadmap for Growth.
Most business training programs teach concepts. IGNITE goes further by helping participants apply what they learn to the decisions that shape their companies’ futures. IGNITE builds the capabilities, accountability, and strategic roadmap needed to pursue growth with confidence.
- Establish a clear strategic direction and measurable growth objectives.
- Identify, evaluate, and prioritize growth opportunities.
- Improve financial understanding and decision-making.
- Align strategy with market demand, capabilities, and resources.
- Strengthen leadership, management systems, and organizational capacity.
- Reduce unnecessary owner dependence and build long-term business value.
- Translate strategic priorities into actionable plans and milestones.
The goal is to become a more capable Growth CEO, leading a stronger, better-positioned business.
What do I get?
IGNITE is designed to help business owners work on their businesses, not just in them.
The hybrid experience combines in-person and virtual instruction, real-world business case studies, CEO Advisory Groups, expert guidance, and peer-to-peer learning.
The curriculum addresses four essential dimensions of business success:
- Growth: Expanding revenue, customers, products, services, and market opportunities.
- Profitability & Efficiency: Strengthening financial performance, cash flow, and operational effectiveness.
- Organizational Capability & Owner Independence: Building stronger teams, leadership capacity, and scalable business systems.
- Business Value & Wealth Creation: Increasing long-term enterprise value, business resilience, and opportunities for wealth creation.
