Cathedral City IGNITE Program Celebrates First Graduating Cohort, Invites Entrepreneurs to “Level Up”

The City of Cathedral City is proud to celebrate the graduation of the first cohort from its IGNITE 4-week business program, an economic development initiative created to spark entrepreneurship and empower local businesses through networking, workshops, and resource-sharing.

Over the past month, participants gained practical tools in business planning, financial management, marketing, access to capital, and developing an entrepreneurial mindset. These are the skills that transform ideas into businesses, and businesses into community anchors that create jobs, attract investment, and revitalize neighborhoods.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) reminds us that "small business" isn't always small at all; it can mean a company with up to 500 employees or $7.5 million in annual revenue. What does that mean here in Cathedral City? It means a student with a side hustle could one day be running a million-dollar venture. It means a retiree's passion project could grow into something that creates jobs. It means an employee ready to step out on their own, or a local auto shop, restaurant, or food truck aiming for a second location, already holds the spark of something transformative.

And that's exactly what the IGNITE program is about: taking that spark and turning it into strategy.

The Next Step: Level Up

Building on this momentum, Cathedral City invites entrepreneurs across the Coachella Valley to register for Level Up - Growth and Expansion Strategy, the next 4-week IGNITE series designed to help businesses scale.

October 9th, 16th, 23rd, and 30th (Thursdays)

5:15 PM - 7:15 PM

Cathedral City City Hall

⚡️ Spaces are limited - register today!

Graduates will receive a Certificate of Recognition from the City of Cathedral City, Riverside County Office of Economic Development, the SBDC, and the SBA.

Ongoing Support: Free IGNITE Counseling

Entrepreneurs don't need to wait for the next series to get help. Every Thursday from 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM, the Coachella Valley Women's Business Center (powered by the Randall W. Lewis Center for Entrepreneurship at CSUSB) offers free bilingual business counseling (English & Spanish) at City Hall.

✅ Walk-ins are welcome, but spaces are limited - register online to guarantee your spot. For Spanish-language counseling, pre-registration ensures a bilingual advisor is available.

Quarterly Workshops

Each quarter, Cathedral City also hosts rotating workshops with the Riverside County Office of Economic Development. Upcoming topics include:

• December 4 (English): Rev Up Your Revenue - Sales & Marketing Bootcamp (5:15 - 6:45 PM)
• November 6 (Spanish): Cumplimiento de Documentos para Propietarios de Pequeñas Empresas (5:15 - 6:45 PM)

✨ Whether you want to increase sales at your restaurant, grow your food truck, expand your auto shop, build an e-commerce brand, launch an app, bottle and sell your best chavela mix, start a construction company, manufacture products, or export abroad - Cathedral City's IGNITE program was built for you.

Learn more and register today: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/level-up-tickets-1669769287889?utm_experiment=test_share_listing&aff=ebdsshios

[email protected]

Text IGNITE to 760-574-9479

https://www.cathedralcity.gov/econdev

Cathedral City is here to help you get your idea off the ground and take it to the next level. Let's ignite your future.