Build it • Grow it

Each year NWILED offers the Build It Grow It program, an entrepreneurial bootcamp designed to empower aspiring business owners and entrepreneurs. It is open to small business owners, managers, entrepreneurs, and high school and college students. Whether you're just starting out or looking to expand your existing business, this program can help you achieve your goals.

The 2025 program was a collaboration among NWILED, The Foundation for Northwest Illinois, Gradient Coaching & Consulting, Highland Community College, and Basket Case. It ran from January to April, with session locations alternating between the Davis Community Center in Mount Carroll and Mud Run Beer Co. in Stockton and covered a range of essential business topics.

Read the full 2025 program press release.

Register for 2026:

Registration for Build It Grow It 2026 is now open. There is a $50 cost for the entire program. Email David Schmit, dschmit@nwiled.org your name, telephone number, address, and if applicable your business name.

This year BIGI will run January 14 to February 5th with a session a week running five straight weeks each lasting about 120 minutes. At the end there will be a separate graduation and shark tank with microgrants. If someone attends all four working sessions, they will be eligible for the shark tank.

Session One: Entrepreneurialism with Aaron Apt of Abt Enterprises and Succession Planning with Patrick Pawasar of Gradient Coaching and Consulting at Eagle Ridge Resort and Spa (ballroom) in the Galena Territory on Wednesday, January 14, 2026.

Session Two: Financial Literacy for Small Business with Citizen State Bank, Schoenhaar Accounting, and the Small Business Development Center at The DeSoto House Hotel (ballroom) in Galena on Thursday, January 22, 2026.

Session Three: Small Business Marketing and Branding with Basket Case, Visit Galena, and Visit NW Illinois at Timber Lake Playhouse in rural Mount Carroll on Thursday, January 29, 2026.

Session Four: Artificial Intelligence for Small Business with Illinois Extension/Northern Illinois University, SoundSafe.ai, and Dry Creek Beekeeping at the Davis Community Center in Mount Carroll on Thursday, February 5, 2026.

Session Five: Program Graduation and Shark Tank at Apple Canyon Lake Clubhouse in rural Apple River on Thursday, February 12, 2026.

Contact David Schmit at dschmit@nwiled.org for more information.