Fresh Start Entrepreneurship & Financial Capabilities is a collaboration among several organizations with a shared goal of promoting economic empowerment for justice-involved individuals. First Step Alliance, a non-profit organization, has created this program in partnership with the Transactional Law Clinics of Harvard Law School, the Mayor's Office of Returning Citizens in Boston, and SCORE, an SBA-funded non-profit organization and the largest volunteer small business mentoring network in the United States.
Introduction to the Course
Are you ready to take control of your financial future and kickstart your entrepreneurial journey?
Fresh Start Entrepreneurship & Financial Capabilities is your launchpad for transforming your business idea into reality. Combining self-paced learning with coaching from experienced business professionals and peer mentors, this course provides aspiring entrepreneurs with essential information and guides them through the key steps of creating a business plan.
By the end of the course, you’ll be better equipped to take your idea to the next level. Whether you choose to pursue business ownership or explore other opportunities, you’ll gain valuable knowledge to support your journey to financial independence.
What You Will Learn
Fresh Start Entrepreneurship & Financial Capabilities provides students with essential business and personal finance knowledge, offering practical tools and resources to help turn ideas into successful ventures. Each module delivers clear, actionable steps and is supported by guidance from certified financial educators, business mentors, and credit counselors.
The course covers critical aspects of business ownership, including:
- Key factors for entrepreneurial success
- Defining and validating your business idea
- The importance of a business plan and how to create one
- Legal considerations for startups
- Effective marketing strategies to reach your target audience
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Improving financial health, budgeting, and building credit
Course Curriculum
This self-paced course is organized into 8 modules and includes 40+ short lessons. We encourage students to complete the curriculum within two months to maintain momentum and fully benefit from the program:
Module 1: Understanding Entrepreneurship
Module 2: Money Management
Module 3: Legal Considerations & Business Structure
Module 4: Startup Funding & Financial Projections
Module 5: Essential Components of a Business Plan
Module 6: Writing Your Business Plan
Module 7: Business Mentoring & Financial Coaching
Module 8: Certificate of Completion & Next Steps
Course Completion
Students who complete the course receive a Certificate of Completion from First Step Alliance and the Transactional Law Clinics of Harvard Law School. The certificate recognizes their commitment to entrepreneurship and creating a path to economic empowerment.
About the Course Creator
First Step Alliance is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working to advance successful reentry and sustainable financial independence for justice-involved individuals. The organization was started by financial professionals and community leaders dedicated to improving economic outcomes for justice-involved people and reducing recidivism.
The course creator and founder of First Step Alliance is a seasoned financial services professional and graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She has decades of experience in the banking industry and is a certified SCORE mentor, helping people realize their dream of business ownership.
What People are Saying
"Dreaming after incarceration can be difficult. The Fresh Start program helped me out in ways you couldn't imagine. My vision widened, and I decided I wanted to open a CDL driving school. Fresh Start helped me put that business plan into action.”
--Wayne Lane, Owner at Switching Lanes (Program graduate)
"This kind of training program helps people who are at the very beginning of dreaming about their business. They’re just starting to figure out, how do I do this on a larger scale? How do I make this a sustainable income source for myself?"
--Carmen Halford, Clinical Instructor at Transactional Law Clinics, Harvard Law School (Program partner)