If you lead a Main Street program, work in a chamber, or sit in an economic development role, you’ve probably explored programs like CO.STARTERS, business bootcamps, business incubators, or even startup accelerators. On paper, they all sound similar. They all support entrepreneurs. They all involve curriculum, structure, and cohorts. But once you start digging in, you realize they’re built to solve very different problems. And if your goal is strengthening your downtown district—not just hosting entrepreneurship programming—that distinction really matters.
The Rise of the Cohort Model
Over the past decade, cohort-based entrepreneurship programs have become increasingly popular. Co.Starters, in particular, gave communities a way to move beyond scattered workshops and into something more structured. Instead of hosting a random lunch-and-learn, communities could run a multi-week experience with accountability and peer support.
That shift was meaningful. It helped entrepreneurs think intentionally about customers, value propositions, and business models. It gave Main Street programs a repeatable format. But over time, many directors begin asking a second, more practical question: are these programs consistently producing lease-ready businesses that are prepared to move into downtown storefronts?
Sometimes the answer is yes. Often, it’s mixed. And that’s not necessarily a flaw in the program—it’s just a reminder that not all entrepreneurship models are built with downtown revitalization as the primary objective.
Not All Entrepreneurship Programs Solve the Same Problem
A business bootcamp typically emphasizes execution and momentum. It’s shorter, practical, and designed to push founders toward action. That can be incredibly helpful, especially for early-stage entrepreneurs who need clarity and accountability.
A business incubator usually revolves around physical space—shared offices, mentorship, maybe subsidized rent. Incubators can be powerful tools, but they require infrastructure and ongoing operational investment. They’re often best suited for communities building innovation districts or supporting office-based businesses.
Startup accelerators, on the other hand, are built for scale. They focus on rapid growth, investment readiness, and high-growth business models. They work well in venture-driven ecosystems but are often disconnected from brick-and-mortar downtown realities.
None of these models are wrong. They simply serve different purposes. The real issue is alignment. If your downtown goal is reducing vacancy, increasing local ownership, and strengthening long-term economic resilience, you need programming built specifically around those outcomes.
The Downtown Gap Most Communities Experience
Across the country, a familiar pattern shows up. Communities have strong entrepreneurial energy. They host markets. They support pop-ups. They see creative founders testing ideas. There’s momentum and excitement.
But when it comes time to sign a lease, hesitation sets in.
Entrepreneurs aren’t always confident in their numbers. They’re unsure about sustained customer demand. They haven’t fully stress-tested their operational systems. Meanwhile, Main Street directors are measured on vacancy rates, net new businesses, and downtown vitality. There’s a clear gap between “entrepreneurial interest” and “storefront readiness.”
That’s where the conversation needs to shift.
Instead of asking, “Which entrepreneurship program should we run?” the better question becomes, “How do we build a consistent pipeline of downtown-ready businesses?” That shift—from programming to pipeline—is where long-term impact begins.
From Programming to Pipeline
At FoundersForge, we’ve spent years working alongside chambers and Main Street programs to support early-stage entrepreneurs. What we learned quickly is this: workshops alone don’t create sustainable storefronts. Energy alone doesn’t reduce vacancy. You need structure, accountability, and a clear pathway from idea to brick-and-mortar viability.
That’s why we built Avante.
Avante isn’t designed to compete with accelerators or traditional incubators. It’s a Main Street–led business bootcamp intentionally built around downtown success. The structure is cohort-based, practical, and grounded in the realities of running a brick-and-mortar business. It focuses on customer validation, financial clarity, operational readiness, and sustainable growth—not startup hype.
More importantly, it’s built to be repeatable. Main Street programs don’t have to reinvent curriculum every year. They can run a six-week cohort, support entrepreneurs through a structured experience, and build a measurable pipeline over time. If you want to explore how the model works in more detail, you can see the full program overview at launchavante.com.
Choosing the Right Model for Your Community
If your community is focused on building high-growth tech startups, an accelerator may be the right fit. If you’re investing in shared workspace infrastructure, an incubator might make sense. If your primary need is broad entrepreneurial education, programs like Co.Starters or general business bootcamps can serve that purpose well.
But if your priority is filling storefronts, strengthening local ownership, and creating a repeatable system that prepares entrepreneurs for long-term downtown success, then you need programming intentionally aligned with those goals.
The name of the program matters less than the outcome it produces.
Entrepreneurship programming is becoming common. Downtown business pipelines are still rare. For Main Street communities, that difference is everything.