 | The Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce is pleased to welcome the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses – Detroit Program to our membership. Serving the Toledo Region since 2014, the program is led locally by Destiny Williams, Outreach Manager, and Dr. Kimberly Burroughs, Executive Director, with a dedicated team of six professionals committed to helping entrepreneurs grow and scale their businesses. |
A Decade of Impact
For more than ten years, the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Detroit program has supported entrepreneurs across Michigan and Northern Ohio—helping nearly 10,000 small businesses graduate from its nationally recognized program.
Designed as a cohort-based learning experience, the program is often compared to an MBA—but with a singular focus: your business.
Hosted in partnership with Wayne State University, participants work through the logistical, operational, and financial foundations of their companies to develop a strategic growth plan. The goal is simple but powerful: help business owners learn to work “on” their business, not just “in” it.
For more than ten years, the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Detroit program has supported entrepreneurs across Michigan and Northern Ohio—helping nearly 10,000 small businesses graduate from its nationally recognized program.
Designed as a cohort-based learning experience, the program is often compared to an MBA—but with a singular focus: your business.
Hosted in partnership with Wayne State University, participants work through the logistical, operational, and financial foundations of their companies to develop a strategic growth plan. The goal is simple but powerful: help business owners learn to work “on” their business, not just “in” it.
| What They Do The program is designed to help second-stage businesses scale and grow—and the results speak for themselves:
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A Powerful (and Often Surprising) Advantage
One of the most compelling aspects of the program?
While it offers a curriculum comparable to an MBA-level experience at Wayne State University, tuition is fully funded by the Goldman Sachs Foundation—making it a no-cost resource for qualifying businesses.
One of the most compelling aspects of the program?
While it offers a curriculum comparable to an MBA-level experience at Wayne State University, tuition is fully funded by the Goldman Sachs Foundation—making it a no-cost resource for qualifying businesses.
 | Building Community, Not Just Companies At its core, the program is about more than strategy and growth—it’s about connection. Entrepreneurship can often feel isolating, but this program creates a space where business owners come together to:
Participants leave not only with a growth plan—but with a network of peers who understand the journey. |
What Drives Their Work
“Entrepreneurship can feel like a lonely island. What we create is a community where that isolation starts to disappear—where entrepreneurs feel supported, empowered, and connected.”
That sense of shared success and collective progress is what motivates the team each day.
“Entrepreneurship can feel like a lonely island. What we create is a community where that isolation starts to disappear—where entrepreneurs feel supported, empowered, and connected.”
That sense of shared success and collective progress is what motivates the team each day.
Advice for New Business Owners
For those just starting out, their guidance is clear:
For those just starting out, their guidance is clear:
“Document and manage your numbers early. Nothing about your business should live only in your head. The goal is to build a business—not create another job for yourself.”
We’re excited to welcome the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Detroit Program to the Chamber and to highlight this valuable, no-cost resource for entrepreneurs across the Toledo Region.
if you re interested in learning more, please visit their website here.
if you re interested in learning more, please visit their website here.
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