SDSI Expands and Lifts Geographic Limitations
San Diego Sport Innovators (SDSI), the business community for the Sports and Active Lifestyle (SAL) sector is drastically expanding reach. Previously, focusing on the region surrounding headquarters in Southern California, SDSI has lifted geographic limitations and now offers Active Lifestyle business expertise to any company in the SAL Industry.
“We are well aware that the Sport and Active Lifestyle that we live, work, and play in extends beyond the beaches, mountains, and deserts of Southern California. If you’re looking to get somewhere – the best teacher, coach, or guide is always someone who’s on their way back from where you want to go. Though our SDSI mentoring programs alone, we’ve helped kickstart more than 100 companies; 80% of these amazing companies are still in business, and we’ve helped create nearly 600 jobs,” said SDSI Executive Chairman of the Board, Bill Walton. “With the huge shifts and disruption we’ve seen in our world recently, our community and the team are critical for success. And technology makes the SDSI community readily accessible outside of Southern California for all the help you’ll ever need. We are an anytime, anywhere organization – SDSI—where dreams germinate, bloom, and become reality!”
“Since March, we’ve seen our membership of 100 SAL businesses, of all sizes, come together in really impactful ways,” explains SDSI’s Executive Director, Bob Rief. “We’d always emphasized the importance of belonging to a business community, but seeing everyone pull together to access funding, share knowledge and devise solutions amongst so much confusion and uncertainty really demonstrated just how important the power of the collective is.”
The SDSI Mentor programs were in full swing when the world shut down, including the 15th cohort of the 20-week Accelerator program. Not only did the programs continue on virtually, but all of the participating companies, with the guidance from their mentoring teams, executed huge pivots. They graduated with operational businesses and actionable plans for the new future. The successful transition to virtual mentoring, demonstrated that SDSI can effectively support SAL businesses regardless of geography. “We are enthused by this potential to reach more companies of all sizes. Business consulting help is easy to find, but expert, industry knowledge that helps Active Lifestyle Businesses level up – that only comes from SDSI,” said SDSI’s Executive Director, Bob Rief.
This expansion beyond Southern California includes SDSI’s membership community and all its offerings including its mentoring programs. SDSI Mentoring Program’s include, SDSI Masters for established businesses as well as SDSI’s longest running mentor program, the SDSI Accelerator. Applications for the next Accelerator cohort will open on August 3, 2020. To learn more and apply, visit: sdsportinnovators.org/accelerator-program
About SDSI
SDSI is a not-for-profit organization that serves as the business community for the Sports and Active Lifestyle Industry (SAL). We support healthy living companies in all stages by facilitating partnership building, providing business mentorship and using the power of our community to help the companies in our space do well AND do good.
Learn more at www.sdsportinnovators.org