The Aurora Financial Empowerment Center is launching a focused, five-week training programme aimed at helping makers and creatives develop concrete business skills and access microgrant funding. The Create. Sell. Grow cohort — a hybrid series that encourages in-person participation — runs each Wednesday from Sept. 30 through Oct. 28. Participants will receive classroom-style instruction, one-on-one financial support and the opportunity to pitch for one of five microgrants of up to $2,000 each.
Practical skills for artists who don’t see themselves as business owners
Toshia Moss, manager of the Aurora Financial Empowerment Center (FEC), said the curriculum is designed to walk participants through the concrete steps needed to run a creative enterprise.
"You're going to walk away with a business plan. You're going to walk away with a pricing structure. You're going to know how to handle inventory. You're going to know how to market and promote, so each of the five sessions builds on something,"she said.
Moss emphasised that many makers and artists do not identify as business owners and so miss out on supports targeted at small businesses. The FEC intends the cohort to fill that gap by offering both group workshops and tailored financial counselling to help creatives translate their ideas into sustainable, revenue-generating operations.
What the programme includes
- Five weekly hybrid sessions beginning Sept. 30 and running through Oct. 28.
- Hands-on topics including business planning, pricing, inventory management, marketing and promotion.
- One-on-one financial counselling available to participants.
- An opportunity to pitch for one of five $2,000 microgrants.
- Registration is required; Aurora residents are the primary target but slots may be offered to artists from other areas if spaces remain.
The Aurora Financial Empowerment Center provides free financial counselling and is managed by the City of Aurora in partnership with The Neighborhood Project, a housing counselling agency. The cohort is being offered at no charge to participants.
Local context and potential impact
For creative entrepreneurs, the step from hobby or occasional sales to a functioning small business can be difficult. Training that addresses pricing, inventory and promotion — combined with targeted financial counselling — can remove barriers that often prevent makers from scaling. The microgrant component could provide immediate working capital for materials, production or small equipment purchases.
Those who take part may also gain access to broader city-managed resources and referrals through the FEC and The Neighborhood Project. While the programme details do not specify the number of cohort participants, the availability of five microgrants suggests organisers expect a cohort size that would support competition for modest seed funding.
| Programme element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Format | Hybrid (in-person attendance encouraged) |
| Schedule | Wednesdays, Sept. 30–Oct. 28 |
| Financial support | One-on-one counselling; five microgrants up to $2,000 each |
| Registration | Required |
For Aurora's creative community — which spans artisans, visual artists, designers and makers working from studios, co‑ops and home workshops — the cohort represents a practical bridge between creative practice and business operations. City-run financial empowerment initiatives like this are intended to broaden access to business planning and financial literacy, which can be especially valuable in neighbourhoods where traditional small-business supports are less visible.
Artists and makers interested in the cohort should register as directed by the Aurora Financial Empowerment Center. The FEC also continues to offer ongoing financial counselling to residents free of charge as part of its partnership with The Neighborhood Project.
