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spring 2026
Photograph by Michael J. Clarke
A woman-owned auto repair shop. A mobile phlebotomist. A store that features decor from the South Asian diaspora.
Those are just a few of the business ideas being incubated in the inaugural class of BASE (Business Advancement for Small Enterprises), a 10-month program that offers training, mentorship, and resources to help entrepreneurs in economically challenged areas in and around Boston launch and grow successful businesses.
Launched by Suffolk’s Center for Entrepreneurship, BASE has already attracted support from the Mayor’s Office of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion, which will serve as a partner for the new program. Essential early support came from the University of Notre Dame’s Urban Poverty and Business Initiative, which works with US colleges, universities, and community partners to support locally driven entrepreneurship programs that respond to community needs.
The first BASE cohort includes 40 entrepreneurs, some of whom already have businesses up and running and want to grow them. Others are exploring the viability of their ideas and hope to launch with the help of the three-phase program.
BASE entrepreneurs begin with a six-week boot camp taught by Suffolk faculty as well as guest speakers. The boot camp covers fundamentals like business planning, marketing, financial literacy, operations, and access to funding. Next, the entrepreneurs are paired with mentors—experienced local business leaders, Suffolk alumni, and subject matter experts—who help them navigate real-world challenges, refine their business strategies, and build social capital.
In the program’s final phase, BASE entrepreneurs work directly with Suffolk students who will help implement the lessons learned during the incubation and mentorship phases, such as developing a marketing plan and modeling financials.
BASE is similar to the University’s recently launched SEED program, which also draws on Suffolk expertise to help entrepreneurs get to the next level. BASE is more of an incubator; SEED is more of an accelerator that helps established small businesses expand and flourish, while providing Suffolk students with invaluable consulting experiences with real-world clients.
For entrepreneur Afi Popplewell, starting a wellness center has been a 20-year dream. She says BASE will give her the business education she needs to make it a reality.
“Where I get stuck are all the areas that we’re going to be working on, like the business plan,” she says. “I don’t love numbers, and I’m not a social media person. But I know BASE is going to get me to the next step.”
“BASE is exciting on so many levels,” says Associate Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship Professor Shari Worthington. “As the program evolves, we’re watching a new, living, breathing community develop before our eyes.” —Ben Hall