Good Soil

We have a plant named Kelly. She stands right at the entrance of our office. I’ve been concerned for her, she’s seen better days. So I sought out the plant expert in our workspace, Stephen. He designs maps…pretty cool. He checked Kelly out and said “The soil is perfectly fine! She just needs time and love.”

Building a business is like tending the soil. It takes vision, patience, and the right conditions to thrive, or in simpler terms, “time and love.”

This is VCET’s 20th year tending the soil for entrepreneurs.

Our focus has always been the entrepreneur. What do they need? Through over 4,000 advising sessions and impromptu chats in the wild, we’ve been able to build a new venture platform that serves all entrepreneurs, from any stage, in any place.

So here’s how we use our time and show our love to the founders who want it.

🎙️Don’t know where to start? Listen to Start Here or attend Female Founders.

📅 Feeling good, but need actionable advice? Schedule a meeting. Our advisory services are offered at no-cost to founders.

💲 Need a boost to start? Don’t seek venture first. Seek these discounts. Vermont entrepreneurs saved over $485k last year in startup costs using these perks.

📚 Looking for interns to support your mission? We know students. Six student-run entrepreneurship clubs across four universities call VCET home at no charge given coworkers and partner support.

📈 You have your team, it’s time to scale. Chat with us. We have $15 million across two venture funds.

But the real story isn’t about VCET. It’s about the entrepreneurs who have taken these resources and built something meaningful. It’s about the founder who turned a dorm-room idea into a thriving company, the small business that scaled beyond what they ever imagined, and the risk-takers who push forward even when the road is uncertain. These are the people making this ecosystem more dynamic, more innovative, and more resilient.

As we look ahead, we remain committed to working alongside Vermont’s founders, making sure we keep the entrepreneur as our north star and supporting their bold ideas. The harvest is ready, we just need to provide the time and love.

Written by Nicole Eaton