Helping founders find community and connections
Soft-landing program for Israeli tech startups entering the U.S. market, providing free workspace, mentoring, and connections to RI's innovation ecosystem.
Incubator
in
Providence
RIHub
Free one-on-one business counseling and workshop series for women entrepreneurs at all stages, covering marketing, finance, legal, and business planning.
Service
Rhode Island Women’s Business Center
Free suite of business support services for RI small businesses including legal, accounting, marketing, and website development assistance.
Rhode Island Small Business HUB
Recurring bilingual business workshops (Cafecito Series) providing technical assistance and business skills training for Hispanic entrepreneurs.
Training/Course
Rhode Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Program helping minority and underserved entrepreneurs become investment-ready through technical assistance, financial coaching, and connection to capital sources.
Rhode Island's premier food business incubator providing low-cost, shared-use commercial kitchen access with business education and co-packing services.
Warren
Hope & Main – Warren
Marketplace and incubator extension that showcases food businesses launched through Hope & Main, connecting entrepreneurs with consumers.
Hope & Main Downtown Makers Marketplace
4-week online course teaching entrepreneurs to validate assumptions, uncover customer pain points, and de-risk their startup through structured customer interviews.
Accelerator preparing marine and defense-adjacent tech founders for engagement with investors, strategic partners, and Department of Defense officials.
Accelerator
Newport
The Blue Venture Forum
7-month cohort program providing mid-to-senior level RI professionals with leadership skills, strategic tools, and career advancement support.
Rhode Island Black Business Association (RIBBA) – Providence
Pawtucket cohort of RIBBA's 7-month leadership development program for BIPOC mid-level professionals seeking career advancement.
Holistic accelerator empowering female, BIPOC, and underrepresented entrepreneurs in health and wellness sectors with technical assistance and funding.
New England Medical Innovation Center (NEMIC)
Startup founder dinner events hosted through the Greater Newport Chamber, connecting tech entrepreneurs with peers and the local innovation ecosystem.
Community/Networking
Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce
Recurring dinner event connecting tech startup founders in Newport to share insights, build relationships, and support each other's ventures.
Innovate Newport
Free workshops and seminars teaching RI businesses how to navigate federal, state, and local government contracting at all experience levels.
Rhode Island APEX Accelerator
Workshop series for established small businesses focused on scaling, financial management, marketing, and strategic growth planning.
Rhode Island Small Business Development Center – Greater Newport
Smithfield
Rhode Island Small Business Development Center – Northern RI
Kingston
Rhode Island Small Business Development Center – Kingston
Rhode Island Small Business Development Center – Providence
6-week program to help individuals develop, test, and vet business or nonprofit ideas in a risk-free, supportive environment.
Social Enterprise Greenhouse
Intensive 12-week accelerator for established social entrepreneurs ready to scale their ventures and amplify reach and revenue.
Drop-in advisory clinics offering free professional services from SEG's network of 250+ expert volunteers to social entrepreneurs.
Coaching/Consulting
Spanish-language incubator program for emerging Latinx entrepreneurs, offering weekly workshops led by industry leaders in the social impact ecosystem.
12-week program for emerging social entrepreneurs ready to launch impact-driven ventures, covering business fundamentals and customer discovery.
Customized workforce development and incumbent worker training for RI manufacturers, covering leadership, upskilling, and lean manufacturing techniques.
Polaris MEP
Free 5-month cohort-based mentorship and training program for young adults ages 18–25, supporting academic and early career development.
Learning cohort program for community stakeholders and small business owners working in commercial districts to revitalize Main Streets and downtown corridors.
Grow Smart Rhode Island
Comprehensive 55+ hour education program for MedTech innovators covering the full commercialization process for regulated medical devices and digital health products.
State-funded program providing technical assistance and direct grants (up to $20K) to minority and women-owned RI businesses to grow their capacity.
Rhode Island Commerce Corporation
Program for Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs to scale businesses with a social mission, developed in partnership with the RI Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Intensive 6-month accelerator for MedTech, HealthTech, and digital health startups, guiding them from concept to commercialization readiness.
Free confidential one-on-one business counseling for RI entrepreneurs covering financial planning, marketing, funding, strategy, and operations.
13-week accelerator course for women-owned established businesses ready to grow, covering strategic planning, certification, and contracting opportunities.
Accelerator helping small RI manufacturers reach higher profitability and efficiency through bus tours, consortia, expert seminars, and discounted services.
Free, confidential one-on-one business mentoring from a network of 45+ experienced volunteer business professionals for RI entrepreneurs.
SCORE Mentors Rhode Island
Low-cost or free business workshops and webinars covering key small business topics, offered locally and online by SCORE Rhode Island volunteers.
Collaborative farm incubator fellowship at Shewatuck Farm for individuals developing new agri-food ventures, with hands-on growing and business support.
North Kingstown
Rhode Island Farm Incubator
Founder-friendly startup accelerator offering 12-month runway extension with funding, office space, software development resources, and cloud credits.
SiliconXL – Providence
Free workshop series for aspiring entrepreneurs covering business idea validation, business planning, registration, legal structures, and financing.
Startup incubation program focusing on AI, web3, and alternative protein ventures, combining investment, incubation, and AI product development.
Kingston Ventures
Incubation program offering high-growth startups office space, mentorship, and access to RI's innovation ecosystem at a Cambridge Innovation Center location.
Free, MIT-modeled team mentoring program providing experienced, unbiased business guidance to RI entrepreneurs and startups at no cost.
Free 5–7 week after-school entrepreneurship incubator for Providence high school students, led by Brown University undergraduates.
YEP! @ Brown – Providence (RI)
Advanced program for YEP 1.0 graduates to continue developing their ventures with deeper mentorship and business scaling guidance.