Turn your passion into profit

12-weeks / 6 Credits

As entrepreneurs, you can expect to learn and share a lot in the Community Business Academy. The success of our program relies on your talents and contributions. 

In this course, you will be building strong fundamental business skills like budgeting, marketing, bookkeeping, and financing. 

Our experiential methodology embeds direct curriculum application so you are able to work on your business as you learn!

How It Works

Your learning experience.

  • 1. Learn

    Watch Video Lessons Before Your Live Zoom Sessions: These short video lessons are designed to introduce topics and get you thinking about your own business and questions you have. You can ask questions or share your thoughts in on-lesson discussions, take self-assessment quizzes and come back to these videos to review concepts whenever you'd like!

  • 2. Engage

    Participate in the Live Zoom Session: This is where the concepts you learned in the video lessons come alive. You'll discuss concepts, practice using these concepts through engaging exercises and connect what you learned to your own businesses. This is the community of the Community Business Academy!

  • 3. Apply

    Complete Homework: Each week for nine weeks you will have homework. This homework is designed to be your opportunity to apply what you learned to your own business. As entrepreneurs we spend a lot of time running our businesses. This is the time for you to think and plan for your business. Take the time and stay on top of your homework! We are here to support you through it all!

Meet Our Instructors

Experts that care.

CBA Instructor Angela McKnight

Angela V. McKnight, the Carepreneur was born and raised in Jersey City, New Jersey, and is the mother of two beautiful children, 14 and 21 years old. Angela has a BS in Business Management from the University of Phoenix, and 20+ years of experience working in the customer service arena with a technical background. She believes assistance, empowerment, and support are the key factors to making a positive impact in peoples’ lives. It was Angela’s caregiving duties and passion to help others that made her found AngelaCARES, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Angela is also the owner and president of the company, Care About You, LLC. Care About You provides care management plan for seniors. She is the self-published author of her first book, titled Caregiver’s Guide to Helping Seniors Eat Healthy. Angela mentors youth and coaches entrepreneurs to start and grow their business. She also conducts a variety of trainings on everything from running a business to the various aspects of caring for seniors.

Class Monitor Abigail Maldonado

Abigail Maldonado is a graduate of the CBA program - Class of 2015.  A few years after graduation and upon completing her MBA program at New Jersey City University, she joined Rising Tide as a Class Monitor.  Outside of Rising Tide, Abigail works as a Store Manager for the niche luggage brand, Tumi.  She also operates her businesses’ as a licensed Real Estate Agent and advisor through her consulting firm, Colibri Impact LLC.  Abigail brings with her over 20+ years of a broad range of sales and negotiation experience, which she leverages in advising real estate buyers, sellers, investors as well as individuals through Colibri Impact LLC on developing their financial understanding for wealth and how that relates to home ownership. She is also the proud mother of her only son, Gabriel Alexander, who is currently 15 years old.  You’ll always find her on the go and ready to help those around her; whether it is at work or at home - Abigail remains active growing her business and helping those around her do the same.

Course curriculum

    1. Navigate our Learning System

    2. Meet Your Online Instructor

    3. Meet Your Online Resiliency Guide

    4. Maximize the Course: Your Business and Time

    5. Communicate with Your Instructors

    6. Get Technical Help

    7. Understand Our Process

    8. LEARN: Complete and Continue

    9. LEARN: Check Your Understanding

    10. ENGAGE: On-Lesson Discussion

    11. ENGAGE: Get Ready to Zoom

    12. ENGAGE: Joining the LIVE class (Zoom)

    13. APPLY: Homework Tips

    14. APPLY: Homework Practice 1

    15. APPLY: Homework Practice 2

    16. RESILIENCY: Preparing Yourself for Entrepreneurship

    17. RESILIENCY: Reset Meditation

    18. CHECK-IN: How did it go?

    19. CHECK-IN: How are you doing?

    20. UPLOAD: Your Profile Image

    21. REMEMBER: Graduation Requirements

    1. How to use this chapter

    2. Computer Basics

    3. Zoom Access

    4. Digital Skills Connecting to Wifi

    5. Digital Skills Online Learning and Research

    6. Digital Skills Staying Safe Online

    7. Importance of Financial Coaching

    8. DOWNLOAD: Resiliency Chime

    9. REMEMBER: Graduation Requirements

    1. Welcome to the Community Business Academy!

    2. THINGS TO KNOW: The Design of the Class

    3. DISCUSSION: Business is all about relationships!

    4. REVIEW: Student Handbook (Download)

    5. YOUR COMMITMENT: Student Handbook

    6. FILL-IN: Pre-Survey

    7. DISCUSSION: Getting To Know You

    8. FILL-IN: Getting To Know Your Business

    9. NEW CONCEPT: You – The Entrepreneur

    10. ASSESSMENT: Self-Evaluation

    11. NEW CONCEPT: The Business Idea

    12. DISCUSSION: What Makes a Good Product or Service?

    13. DEFINITION: Business Plan Outline

    14. The Executive Summary Contest

    15. FILL-IN: Check Your Understanding

    16. DISCUSSION: How are you doing?

    17. NEXT STEPS: Our LIVE class is coming up!

    18. BEFORE WE START: Get ready to Zoom

    19. BEFORE WE START: What to bring

    20. WELCOME: Our LIVE Zoom class

    21. HOMEWORK 1: Introduction

    22. HOMEWORK 1: EXAMPLE

    23. STUDY HALL: Extra support for you

    24. RESILIENCY: Intention

    25. CHECK-IN: How are you doing?

    26. UP NEXT: Looking ahead to Week 2

    27. REMEMBER: Graduation Requirements

    1. Welcome back!

    2. THE GAME: Purpose

    3. GAME CONTEXT: Location

    4. GAME CONTEXT: Target Customer

    5. GAME CONTEXT: Your Role

    6. TOOLS REVIEW: Business Cycle Calendar

    7. TOOLS REVIEW: Daily Record Keeping Journal

    8. TOOLS REVIEW: Weekly Sales Journal

    9. TOOLS REVIEW: Weekly Expense Journal

    10. NEXT STEPS: Our LIVE class is coming up!

    11. BEFORE WE START: Get ready to Zoom

    12. BEFORE WE START: What to bring

    13. WELCOME: Our LIVE Zoom class

    14. HOMEWORK 2: Business Simulation I

    15. HOMEWORK 2: EXAMPLE

    16. STUDY HALL: Extra support for you

    17. RESILIENCY: Create Positivity

    18. CHECK-IN: How did it go?

    19. UP NEXT: Looking Ahead to Week 3

    20. CHECK-IN: How are you doing?

    21. REMEMBER: Graduation Requirements

    1. Welcome Back

    2. Managing Your Personal Expenses and Income

    3. Personal Budget

    4. NEW CONCEPT: Personal Expense Categories

    5. DEFINITION: Personal Income

    6. APPLYING YOUR LEARNING: Personal Income and Expenses

    7. THINGS TO KNOW: Savings

    8. THINGS TO KNOW: Understanding Your Credit

    9. DEFINITION: Interest

    10. FILL-IN: Check Your Understanding

    11. THINGS TO KNOW: Why is Having Good Credit Important?

    12. THINGS TO KNOW: How to Correct Errors in a Credit Report

    13. THINGS TO KNOW: Negative Information in your Credit Report

    14. RESOURCE: Example Credit Report

    15. NEXT STEPS: Our LIVE class is coming up!

    16. BEFORE WE START: Get ready to Zoom

    17. BEFORE WE START: What to bring

    18. WELCOME: Our LIVE Zoom class

    19. HOMEWORK 3: Monthly Personal Income and Expense Budget

    20. HOMEWORK 3: EXAMPLE

    21. STUDY HALL: Extra support for you

    22. RESILIENCY: Unlock Energy

    23. CHECK-IN: How did it go?

    24. CHECK-IN: How is your learning?

    25. UP NEXT: Looking Ahead to Week 4

    26. REMINDER: Importance of Financial Coaching

    27. REMEMBER: Graduation Requirements

    1. Welcome to Week 4

    2. THINGS TO KNOW: Basic Business Structure

    3. DEFINITION: Variable Expenses

    4. NEW CONCEPT: Understanding Your Competitors

    5. DISCUSSION: Your Competitors

    6. THINGS TO KNOW: The Importance of Your Competition

    7. FILL-IN: Check Your Understanding (Competition)

    8. NEW CONCEPT: Your Target Market

    9. DISCUSSION: Defining Your Target Market

    10. THINGS TO KNOW: Mistakes to Avoid

    11. FILL-IN: Check Your Understanding (Target Market)

    12. NEXT STEPS: Our LIVE class is coming up!

    13. BEFORE WE START: Get ready to Zoom

    14. WELCOME: Our LIVE Zoom class

    15. BEFORE WE START: What to bring

    16. HOMEWORK 4: Competition and Target Marketing

    17. HOMEWORK 4: EXAMPLE

    18. RESILIENCY: You’re Connected

    19. CHECK-IN: How did it go?

    20. STUDY HALL: Extra support for you

    21. CHECK-IN: How are you doing?

    22. UP NEXT: Looking Ahead to Week 5

    23. REMEMBER: Graduation Requirements

About this course

  • Free
  • 315 lessons
  • 3 hours of video content

FAQ

  • What's the cost?

    Tuition for The Community Business Academy is valued at $3,000 per student. Thanks to our generous supporters and donors, tuition is waived for every student accepted into the program. All participants, however, must pay a small materials and registration fee. Based on your household income, your fees are calculated on a sliding scale ranging from $150 to $375. Additional financial aid is available for those who qualify.

  • Who are the instructors?

    Our instructors all actively own or run small businesses, and have been through a one-year intensive training program geared towards maximizing their experience as entrepreneurs in teaching small business concepts.

  • How do I apply?

    Introduce yourself by filling out our program inquiry form here and we will walk you through next steps.