Volunteer
Make an impact by sharing your skills
Volunteer with Us
Hundreds of volunteers play a key role in the success of our entrepreneurs every year. Empowering entrepreneurs starts with community support. Volunteers have amazing talents to contribute to our organization, and we do our best to match volunteers to customized opportunities at Ventures. We occasionally have one-time or specialized volunteer opportunities, but our greatest need for volunteers are for Business Basics Course Coaches and Retail Store Volunteers.
If you’re interested in volunteering with Ventures, get started by:
- Reviewing our Volunteer Agreement.
- Completing our Online Volunteer Application.
- Following application instructions to schedule a phone interview.
Business Coach
Coaches work alongside small groups of entrepreneurs in our 8-week Business Basics Course. Coaches help students become more familiar with the business concepts they learn in class and guide them in applying those concepts to their specific businesses and situations.
Responsibilities
- Attend weekly classes that are held virtually via Zoom.
- Work one-on-one and in small groups of entrepreneurs to apply concepts and lessons to their businesses via Zoom Breakout Rooms.
- Participate in large group discussions and assist the instructor in explaining key business concepts as needed.
- Coaches are expected to attend at least six out of the eight sessions of the Business Basics Course. The Orientation that is held before the course begins is optional as well as the graduation.
Time Commitment
- Volunteer Orientation: Monday, May 2, from 6-7:30 PM (English) and Wednesday, May 4, from 6-7:30 PM (Spanish)
- English Business Basics Courses: Wednesdays, June 15 – August 8, from 6 – 9 PM (In person)
- English Business Basics Courses: Thursdays, June 9 – July 28, from 6 – 9 PM (Virtual)
- Spanish Business Basics Course: Tuesdays, June 7 – July 26 from 6 – 9 PM (In person)
Qualifications
- Experience starting or growing your own business or basic knowledge of at least two key areas of small business development: sales, marketing, finance, and operations.
- Passion for Ventures’ mission and belief in the abilities and potential of Ventures entrepreneurs.
- Must be able to suspend judgment and listen deeply.
- Patience and understanding of the many personal and systemic barriers to business-ownership that our business owners encounter.
Class Facilitator
The Ventures volunteer class facilitator role is a unique opportunity to use your facilitation skills, paired with a passion to empower entrepreneurs to build their business in the 8-week Business Basics Course. Specifically, facilitators help clients ask questions in class and use students’ comments from the Zoom Chatbox to create a collaborative and judgment-free learning space. We are looking for (1) facilitator for our upcoming virtual English course.
Responsibilities
- Attend all eight classes.
- Articulate client questions and help them communicate with the instructor.
- Organize the Zoom Breakout Rooms by assigning volunteer coaches to clients.
Qualifications
- Interest in and enthusiasm for Ventures’ mission to empower low-income entrepreneurs.
- Basic knowledge and/or experience that relates to entrepreneurship.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; ability to collaborate on projects and assignments.
- Must be able to suspend judgment and listen deeply.
- Must be patient and understanding of the many personal and systemic barriers to business ownership that our clients encounter.
To apply, please email your resume to [email protected]
Ventures Marketplace Customer Service Volunteer
The Ventures Marketplace Customer Service volunteer is an opportunity to greet and assist customers as they enter our store at Ventures Marketplace at Pike Place to share the mission and vision of our incubation program.
Responsibilities
- Greet and assist customers at our Ventures Marketplace at Pike Place Market
- Role does not include ringing up sales
- Able to commit any amount of time during the week, ideally Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and/or Sunday from 11-4 PM.
Qualifications
- Interest in and enthusiasm for Ventures’ mission to empower low-income entrepreneurs.
- Basic knowledge and/or experience that relates to entrepreneurship.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- Must be able to suspend judgment and listen deeply.
- Must be patient and understanding of the many personal and systemic barriers to business ownership that our clients encounter
To apply, please email your resume to [email protected]
InnoVentures Pitch Coach – coming soon!
InnoVentures is a unique program that provides a chance for Ventures business owners from the food, product, and service sectors to pitch an innovation that will increase efficiency and grow sales for their business to a team of judges. The InnoVentures Pitch Coach is an opportunity to use coaching skills, paired with a passion to empower entrepreneurs to build their business. Specifically, coaches help contestants interpret and integrate the judges’ feedback into their pitches in a collaborative and judgment-free space for learning.
To apply, email [email protected] with your interest – we will begin recruiting for InnoVentures 2022 soon.
Microbusiness Saturday Business Coach – coming soon!
Microbusiness Saturday is a full-day*, public event that celebrates and elevates local microbusiness owners by providing business coaching, workshops, resources, and networking opportunities for the community. As a business coach, you will provide support using a peer coaching model in both English and Spanish. We are looking for a range of expertise in business topics, including but not limited to: finance, operations, sales, bookkeeping, taxes, and starting a business.
Responsibilities
- Attend the one-time event and participate in small groups of entrepreneurs to apply business concepts in a peer coaching format.
- Participate in small group discussions and answer questions that business owners may have about basic business concepts.
Qualifications
- Experience starting or growing your own business or basic knowledge of at least wo key areas of small business development: sales, marketing, finance, and operations.
- Passion for Ventures’ mission and belief in the abilities and potential of Ventures entrepreneurs.
- Ability to suspend judgment and listen deeply.
To learn more, please email [email protected]
*This event is held once a year every fall.