Shownotes
What separates a truly impactful cohort program from one that's just filling seats? In this episode, hosts Taylor Sherbine and David Oliver sit down with Karen Collins, Director of Programs at LAUNCH Chattanooga, to explore what it actually takes to build, run, and sustain cohort-based entrepreneurship programs that meet real community needs.
Karen brings a rare perspective: she's sat on both sides of the table as a funder, a grant writer, a participant, and now a program director. She shares candidly about Launch Chattanooga's evolution, including their bold pivot to launch the Kitchen Incubator of Chattanooga—the only freestanding kitchen incubator in Southeast Tennessee—and the board pushback they had to overcome to make it happen.
In this episode, you'll hear:
- How to design a cohort that actually fits your community: why community discovery and stakeholder mapping must come before program design
- Building an application process with purpose: how to align intake questions with funder requirements and participant fit, without closing the door on anyone's entrepreneurial dream
- The "whole entrepreneur" approach: why what happens in someone's personal life affects their business, and how to build wrap-around referral systems into your program design
- Data strategy from day one: why waiting until after the cohort to think about outcomes is already too late, and how Launch Chattanooga is rebuilding their data infrastructure with Catalyzer
- Drop-out recovery and waitlist engagement: the relationship-first protocols that keep doors open and bring participants back
- Funding alignment and when to walk away: all money is not good money; how to stay mission-focused even when grant funding doesn't fit your population
- AI in cohort curriculum: an honest take on where AI tools help, and where they fall short in serving community-specific needs
Featured Guest: Karen Collins, Director of Programs, LAUNCH Chattanooga
Karen is a former executive director, federal grant writer, and city government leader who went through LAUNCH Chattanooga as an entrepreneur herself before joining the team. She brings deep expertise in data-driven service delivery, community advocacy, and cohort-based program design.
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