Debra Glabeau, Principal of Great Island Design, is among one hundred and forty-eight entrepreneurs from 36 states, Washington D.C, and Puerto Rico who recently graduated from the Babson Cohort of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, a national program created to help entrepreneurs create jobs and economic opportunity by providing greater access to education, capital, and business support services.

“We’re proud of our graduates of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Initiative. These entrepreneurs put forth incredible effort to complete this program and we are confident their efforts will continue in growing their businesses. We are excited to watch their many successes,” said Kerry Healey, President of Babson College.

Babson has been partnering with Goldman Sachs and others on the 10,000 Small Businesses program since 2010. The intensive program is designed to nurture business growth and the businesses in this group represent a total of $247M in revenues and over 3,000 jobs from a broad range of industries.

Starting in September, these small business owners connected with peers and worked together through practical business education delivered through a blend of online and in-person sessions at Babson.

“The program is designed to be highly participative, focusing on peer and experiential types of learning – just Babson’s style,” said Babson Professor Patricia Greene, National Academic Director of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses and 10,000 Women. “These business owners represent the best of the U.S. economy, growing their businesses, including creating new jobs, in order to continue to strengthen our communities.

10,000 Small Businesses offers qualified business owners:

• Guidance in creating a customized growth plan that includes opportunity identification and feasibility analysis, financial management, leadership, negotiations, and marketing.
• One-on-one business counseling and a network of peer support from other small business owners, as well as leaders in the business world.

About Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses

Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses is based on the broadly held view of leading experts that greater access to this combination of education, capital and support services best addresses barriers to growth for small businesses. 10,000 Small Businesses is guided by an Advisory Council on which Babson President Kerry Healey serves and is co-chaired by Goldman Sachs chairman and CEO Lloyd C. Blankfein, Bloomberg L.P. founder, president and CEO, and 108^th Mayor of the City of New York Michael R. Bloomberg, Berkshire Hathaway chairman and CEO Warren Buffett, and  the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City’s Dr. Michael Porter.  The National Urban League and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce are also represented on the Advisory Council, among other groups.