Eight weeks · Two tracks · In person at Queens College

Build & Grow Studio

Eight weeks of real work on your own venture, with evidence brought back every week. You learn the principles, you test what matters, and you leave with a 90-day plan built on what actually happened instead of what you assumed.

When: Tuesdays, 7:15–8:45 pmOctober 6 to November 24, 2026
Where: In person at QC65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing
Cohort: 8 to 12 peopleBuild track and Grow track
Tuition: $195 founding rate$95 reduced tuition available

Apply for the founding cohort

Five minutes. Apply by Friday, September 18. You will hear from us within two days.

Who it is for

Anyone serious about building something

A business, a nonprofit, a community project, a side venture, or a research idea that should reach real people. Founders, small business owners, Queens College and CUNY students, faculty, staff, and alumni. There is no stage requirement. Someone who has not earned a dollar yet and someone ten years into a business work the same method, each on their own venture.

Track one

Build

You are at the idea or early-customer stage. You work through the whole venture, one domain a week: customers, offer, marketing, sales, operations, finance, people. By week eight you know which parts hold up.

Track two

Grow

You already run a venture or an organization. You pick the one constraint holding it back and work on it for eight weeks with the group behind you, testing a change every single week.

How a session runs

Ninety minutes, the same structure every week

The structure does not change, so it becomes a habit instead of a surprise. More than half the room's time goes to work on your own venture, not to a lecture.

15 check-in

20 principle

50 build

5 commit

15 min Check-inWhat happened with last week's experiment. Numbers, observations, or a real person's words. Not impressions.
20 min PrincipleOne useful business concept, taught through a participant's real situation that week.
50 min BuildGuided work on your venture with peers, a facilitator, and AI as a thinking partner. Ends with a peer challenge on what you just made.
5 min CommitOne experiment for the week. Low cost, done before the next session, and it produces a number or a real person's words.

The method

Six questions, pointed at your venture

This is the scientific method applied to a business. You run the same six questions every week, and the answers move from guesses to evidence as the weeks go on.

01EvidenceWhat do we actually know?

02GoalWhat are we trying to accomplish?

03ConstraintWhat is getting in the way?

04GapWhat do we still need to learn or build?

05ExperimentWhat is the smallest useful test?

06CommitmentWhat will you do, and by when?

The eight weeks

One module a week, applied the same day

You may miss one of the eight. Plan for about two hours between sessions: a customer conversation, a test, a fix. It is fieldwork, not homework.

01Oct 6Entrepreneurial foundations

02Oct 13Customers and market discovery

03Oct 20Value creation and business model

04Oct 27Marketing and positioning

05Nov 3Sales and revenue

06Nov 10Value delivery and operations

07Nov 17Finance and funding

08Nov 24People, systems, and growth

What you leave with

Evidence, clarity, and a practical path forward

A venture progress portfolio documenting what you built, tested, learned, and decided.
Real-world evidence gathered from customers, users, partners, or other relevant sources.
A clearer direction and a practical 90-day action plan informed by tested assumptions and evidence.
Your own AI support system for research, strategy, marketing, customer insights, and day-to-day work. (Developed through the optional AI Lab.)
A trusted peer network for continued feedback, accountability, and support through the Growth Circle.

Tuition

Tuition That Meets You Where You Are

Choose the option that fits your circumstances. Every accepted participant receives the same complete Studio experience. Requesting reduced tuition will not affect how your application is considered.

Founding Cohort Tuition $195

Special tuition for the first Build & Grow Studio cohort. The full program value is $595.

Reduced Tuition $95

Available to participants with demonstrated financial need. You may request it directly in the application. No additional documentation is required.

Sponsor Another Participant Optional contribution

If you would like to expand access, you may contribute toward another participant's tuition after you enroll.

Payment plans are available. Payment is due only after acceptance, and your place is confirmed when the first payment is received.

How to join

Ready to make meaningful progress?

Complete the five-minute application. Tell me what you are building or growing, what is getting in the way, and what you want to accomplish over eight weeks. Short, honest answers are welcome.

Applications close Friday, September 18.
You will receive a personal response within two days.

Apply to Build & Grow Studio