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Waubonsee Community College will once again offer four cohorts of the Business Growth Academy for existing and aspiring business owners in the community through a partnership between Waubonsee’s Education and Workforce Development department and the Illinois Small Business Development Center at Waubonsee. Business Growth Academy and its Spanish-language counterpart, Academia de Negocios, are designed for business owners who have been in operation for at least two years, are generating revenue, and are looking to scale up their business. Each session will run for ten weeks, with Business Growth Academy offered Wednesday evenings, beginning Sept. 17, at the Sugar Grove Campus, and Academia de Negocios offered Thursday evenings, beginning Sept. 18, at the Aurora Downtown Campus, located at 18 S. River St.
“At Waubonsee, we believe entrepreneurship is a pathway to empowerment,” said Suzanne Markin, Workforce Education Manager at Waubonsee. “Through the combined efforts of our Workforce and SBDC teams, we’re helping aspiring business owners turn bold ideas into thriving realities—with the right support, training, and community behind them.”
For aspiring business owners in the early stages of launching their small businesses, New Venture Academy and its Spanish-language counterpart, Academia Emprende, will be offered as well. Whether participants have just an idea or have started working on a business plan, this program will provide essential tools to help them develop a clear path forward.
"Academia Emprende provided us with the structure and foundation to build something strong and lasting,” said Jairo Berrios and Monica Sanchez, owners of Berrios Truck Repair and participants in the spring 2025 cohort of Academia Emprende. “In the end, success is often not just about reaching the goal but about the journey itself. We have truly enjoyed every step of our entrepreneurial path, and at the academy, we met incredible friends, mentors, and fellow dreamers.”
New Venture Academy launches Sept. 15 and will run for 10 weeks on Monday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m. Academia Emprende runs from 6 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday evenings starting September 16. Both cohorts will be hosted at Waubonsee’s Aurora Downtown Campus.
All four programs are designed to support business owners at different stages of their entrepreneurial journey and are made possible through the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB)’s Noncredit Workforce Training Initiative Grant and the Illinois Small Business Development Center at Waubonsee.
For more information about Business Growth Academy and/or Academia de Negocios, or to apply, visit waubonsee.edu/BGA. For more information about New Venture Academy and/or Academia Emprende, or to apply, visit waubonsee.edu/new-venture-academy.
Above: The graduates of the inaugural Academia Emprende, who participated in the spring 2025 cohort at Waubonsee’s Aurora Downtown Campus.
