Five Eastside cities have partnered through the Startup 425 program to bring free training resources to entrepreneurs.

Startup 425 Foundations is a series of free workshops for individuals who have a great idea for a product or business. The program seeks to bring together innovators, business advisors and entrepreneurs for a broad overview of the startup process, from ideation and business planning to financing and marketing. Workshops are held weekly in the evenings to allow for mid-career exploration and include light refreshments.

The workshops include topics such as ideation, financing, marketing, networking and mentoring.

In its first year, the Foundations program served more than 150 Eastside residents at 16 workshops. More than 60 percent of attendees identified as women and almost two-thirds identified as people of color.

“We are excited that our workshops are attracting such a diverse audience,” said Jesse Canedo, program manager for Startup 425. “Startup 425 is dedicated to supporting aspiring entrepreneurs—no matter what their background—as they begin the journey of starting a business.”

Startup 425 is a partnership of the cities of Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Issaquah and Renton, with support from the Port of Seattle and the King County Library System. Speakers are provided by Greater Seattle SCORE, a program of the Small Business Administration.

To learn more about Startup 425 and the Foundations workshop series, including the schedule and locations, visit www.startup425.org. For questions about this press release contact Lisa Maher, Communications & Marketing Manager, at lmaher@redmond.gov or 425-556-2427. This press release is available on www.redmond.gov.