Pi Program
Incubator: Start-Up & Early Stage Businesses
Training & Technical Assistance
Virtual Training Workshops
Practitioner-Driven Workshops
1-on-1 Mentoring
Pitch Coaching & Events
An inside look at the Polk Institute Foundation programs.
01
Incubator Cohort
Pre-Revenue / Startup
With a focus on nurturing a strong foundation of business ethics and social responsibility, the Incubator cultivates a culture of integrity and sustainability among budding entrepreneurs. Our Incubator is a meticulously crafted program where participants delve into essential aspects of corporate operations, including legal frameworks, financial management, and leadership.
Polk Institute Foundation is a trusted advisor throughout the entrepreneurial life-cycle. Assemble effective teams and partnerships, strive for excellence, perform at peak, and capitalize on opportunity.
COMING SOON · 2027
Pi Silver Tsunami Xcelerator.
Our Silver Tsunami Xcelerator (STX) helps legacy businesses transition ownership. These businesses are vital to providing jobs, services, and generational wealth.
The STX provides estate planning, succession strategies, and investor connections to ensure smooth and dignified transitions.
STX operates on a 4-Phase Program basis with weekly meetings. It is a two-level fee-based program: an up-front retainer fee and a back-end success fee. Each client works with a dedicated Advisor supplied and paid by the Foundation.
The Triple Bottom Line
A curriculum built for fundable social entrepreneurs.
The Fundable CEO & Ethical Leadership
Begins the journey to becoming a fundable CEO. Starting with your WHY, we develop Mission, Vision, and Values, then shift to equity and team-building. Ethical Leadership tackles the daily dilemmas CEOs face — doing the right thing when no one is watching.
Social Entrepreneurship and the B-Corp
The intricacies of being a true social entrepreneur and what it takes to become certified as a B-Corporation. Covers the benefits of forming a Social Purpose Corporation (SPC) and operating under B-Corp standards.
Personal Financial Literacy for Entrepreneurs
Responsible financial practices: credit, FICO scores, interest rates, financing options, and a personal financial management system. You can't run a business if you can't handle your own financial house.
Entrepreneur Finance
Finance fundamentals: revenue and recognition, cost of goods, gross profit, cost behaviors, contribution margin, fixed vs. variable costs, break-even, revenue drivers, financial projections, and cash-flow forecasting.
Operations Essentials for Entrepreneurs
Built on Michael E. Gerber's E-Myth Revisited. Working on your business vs. in it, building systems-led companies, the Technician/Manager/Entrepreneur mentalities, and the Turnkey Revolution.
HR for Entrepreneurs
People are one of the three pillars of the triple bottom line. Convert your team into a competitive advantage. Includes employees vs. independent contractors and California's AB5 implications.
Primary Market Research & Proof of Concept
A 4-week workshop on primary market research, proof of concept, and Customer Discovery Interviews. Cohort clients define personas and run 100 face-to-face interviews to validate their business.
Mental Fitness for the CEO
It is lonely at the top. This workshop equips CEOs with techniques to persevere, lead with vulnerability, and maintain a positive outlook for their team and stakeholders.
Capstone Pitch
Tie everything together into a 5–7 minute persuasive pitch, presented at our Annual Pitch Showcase each January.
Our Ideal Candidate
Built for Small & Medium-Size Enterprises.
Our goal is to expose social entrepreneurship as a viable path to financial freedom — with 70% of our trainees being women, veteran-led entrepreneurs, and underrepresented minorities.
Coachable
Open to new learning.
Grit
No quitting.
Vision
Grow a $1M (annual revenue) business in 3–5 years.
Mission
Embrace social entrepreneurship.
Admission requires an application, a 90-second introduction video, and a panel interview with our selection committee. Clients complete 11 monthly workshops — 2 hours per week on Zoom — concluding with a 5–10 minute investor-quality pitch at our annual Pitch Showcase.
Watch: Who is our ideal candidate?