CREATIVE ECONOMY

The Nest Accelerator

Acceleration of Circular Economy Micro-Manufacturing

Building a Circular Economy &
Accelerating Sacramento Creatives

OUR SERVICES

One-On-One Mentorship Meetings

From brainstorming and PR sessions to technical assistance to ensure you have the right tools to help your business grow.

Learning Business & Start Up Concepts

You’ll learn key business terms such as beachhead markets and minimal viable product as well as methods of growth and ways to raise capital.

Connections to Investors & Capital

We’ll help you find and forge valuable partnerships and business opportunities. 

MENTOR RESOURCES

Unlocking potential and fostering innovation, Nest’s accelerator program thrives on a foundation of mentorship excellence. Our network of seasoned mentors represents a wealth of diverse expertise, providing invaluable guidance to participants navigating the entrepreneurial landscape. From industry veterans to tech trailblazers, these mentors offer tailored insights, strategic advice and constructive feedback, empowering each participant to refine their vision and realize their full potential. Our mentors play a pivotal role in shaping and nurturing the growth of participant’s business, ensuring they are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in today’s dynamic market.

2025 COHORT

Yarn Pics
KC Kombucha
Veg Cafe
Humble Bee Herbal
Upcycled Dragon
Cavinia's VIP Services

KEY PROGRAM TEAM

SHIRA LANE

Shira’s meetings aim to determine the optimal direction for your business’s growth, address questions related to sustainability and circular economy practices and ensure program compatibility. Shira can connect and find grant opportunities for your growth.

Book a Meeting with Shira

DEBORAH HUNT

Deborah will be your Lead Mentor, meeting with you monthly to ensure you are taking advantage of the various program services and technical assistance provided as well as meeting Nest program milestones.

Email Deborah Hunt

SACRAMENTO SBDC

The Sacramento Valley Small Business Development Center provides free business start-up & development assistance for small business owners.  Financing assistance, educational workshops, online business training

Connect with Sacramento Valley SBDC

NANCY MALLORY

Nancy will be the Public Relations expert working to find ways to increase public exposure of your growing, sustainable business. Scheduling a meeting with Nancy will enable her to better understand your business for PR opportunities.

Email Nancy Mallory

MIKE BROWN

Mike empowers leaders, teams, and organizations to unlock their full potential, achieve sustainable success, and create lasting impact in their industries and communities. “From Vision to Victory,” Mike will be there to guide your growth.

Email Mike Brown

Additional Friends of the Program

Jason Jong
Sac. Office of Arts & Culture
Jason is the Creative Economy Manager for the City of Sacramento. Jason will not be providing one-on-one mentorship but his contact information is here if you need direct contact with our city arts and culture department.
WebsiteEmailLinkedIn
Luke VanderDrift
Attorney at Law
Luke is the Atrium board attorney, an administrative law judge, and a professor in the Criminal Justice department at California State University - Sacramento. He is quite insightful. Email him and buy him coffee to chat - great soundboard.
EmailLinkedIn
Thomas Hall
Clean Tech Start-up
Executive Director of CleanStart, accelerating the development of clean technology ventures within the Greater Sacramento Region. He can help you understand and find your target beach head market plus he is a great sounding board for ideas. Use the calendly link to book a Zoom meeting.
CalendlyEmailLinkedIn
Chase Stremsterfer
Sacramento County BERC
Sacramento County business and environmentalist mentor. He can help businesses navigate through county environmental regulations. Air quality regulation, hazardous materials/waste, stormwater regulation, wastewater regulation, zoning code, and coordinating BERC’s Sustainable Business Program which certifies businesses that go above and beyond normal environmental compliance. Email to setup a meeting.
WebsiteEmailLinkedIn
Jerrod Voong
Sacramento County BERC
Economic Development Specialist - can help with any Sacramento county red tape issues that are holding your business back from scaling, or moving into a new location. Email Jerrod to set up a meeting.
WebsiteEmailLinkedIn
Charley Ansbach
Social Entrepeneur
Executive Advisor at Evolution Accelerator preparing new and growing companies to raise capital and build sustainability into their core strategies. He is a big deal and an OG. Email him to set a time to connect.
WebsiteEmailLinkedIn
Phil Scott
Economic Development
Business owner, coach, community servant, and resident in the City of Folsom who helps facilitate the growth of businesses. He has managed many businesses and understands the difficulty of running a small business. Reach out via email to set a time to meet.
WebsiteEmailLinkedIn
James Lungi
Finance
James does loans that are hard to do. Real Estate and Mortgage Marketing Specialist. Also a marketing specialist with salesforce - 3X Salesforce CRM Certified Expert. Email him with questions on marketing and housing ownership, equity building, and mortgage finance.
WebsiteEmailLinkedIn
Keith Leonard
Small Business Banker
Small Business Specialist at U.S. Bank, can conduct in-depth market research and competitive analysis to identify emerging trends, opportunities, and threats. Email him if you have bank questions or need some competitive analysis done.
WebsiteEmailLinkedIn
Aubree Smith
Sac. Innovation-Economic Dev.
Development Project Manager in the Office of Innovation & Economic Development at City of Sacramento, overseeing this city-funded accelerator program. Will be reporting to the city manager on our program's success.
WebsiteEmailLinkedIn
Laura Fickle
Economic Development
Laura is an economic development consultant with Choose Folsom and with Communities Strong Strategies. If you are interested in expanding into Folsom she can help. She is a wealth of knowledge and ideas.
WebsiteEmailLinkedIn
Megan Van Voorhis
Sac. Convention-Cultural Svcs.
Megan is the Director of Convention and Cultural Services (Jason's Boss) she will not be providing direct mentorship but oversees many of the city's cultural programs and is looking forward to reporting on the success of this cohort.
WebsiteEmailLinkedIn

STAGES OF GROWTH

Online Growth

Selling on Atrium / Etsy
Selling on your own website
Selling on Amazon with FBA
Selling Wholesale 
Selling on Big Box Stores Online marketplace.

Retail Growth

Starting at craft markets
Selling at Atrium
Selling at multiple local stores (manually managing inventory)
Selling at boutique retail chains ( Marshall Retail Group, Sally’s)
Selling in Big Box Stores

Manufacturing Growth

Test product and Prototype
Maker – Optimize Workspace for Task Specific Stations
Setting up SOP, First and Second hire, Scaling Production
Investment Leap – Scaling Team, Larger facility & Machinery
Exit Plan

VIDEO RESOURCES

Secret to successfully pitching an idea
Accounting Webinar & Resources

Public Speaking & Presenting

Killer Opener (old but good)
Speak Clearly
Transformation Magic of Audience

RESOURCE LIBRARY

Retail & Wholesale Markets

Nordstrom Accelerator
Target Accelerator
Target Supplier Intake Form
Candid Wholesale Accelerator
Marshall Retail Group Vendor Compliance Guide

Business Templates & Articles to Hone Your Skills

Seed Pitch Deck Template
Financial Templates
Business Plan Template
Business Model Canvas Template
Small Business Legal Toolkit
7 Ways to Protect Your Business from Risk
Business Financing & How to Qualify
TIZZIT - Handmade Scaling Courses
Distributor Contract Template
Business Vocabulary for Entrepreneurs

Program Documents to Drive Program Success

Nest Program Goals & Milestones
Monthly Mentor Meeting Template

Is there a resource you would like to see that isn't in our library? Let us know and we will add it here - Deborah@atrium916.com