The Small Business Development Center at Troy University has been invited to present its Start Your Business program at the National Community Reinvestment Coalition’s Just Economy Conference, held in Washington D.C. April 13-16.

The NCRC is a nationwide network of almost 800 organizations and champions working for a “Just Economy,” where all Americans can build wealth and provide for their families with stability and dignity. Formed in 1990 by national, regional and local organizations to increase the flow of private capital into traditionally underserved communities, the organization focuses on monitoring the flow of public and private capital into local communities to strengthen workforce development, expand affordable housing and grow small business opportunities.

“We are humbled by the invitation to present our model, only 20 states offer self-employment training to SNAP programs, and we have put TROY in that map representing Alabama,” said Juliana Bolivar, TROY SBDC director.

TROY’s “SYB” program was developed in 2022 in partnership with the Alabama Department of Human Resources and the Sorrell College of Business to provide non-academic entrepreneurship education to SNAP benefit recipients.

The program has been recognized as one of the top 17 work-based learning programs in Alabama by the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship and is currently implemented on a statewide basis through DHR and its A-RESET Program, a federally funded workforce development initiative that helps individuals on SNAP gain skills, training and education that lead to employment.

A scalable, adaptable model, SYB can be expanded into other populations and locations. In addition to the SNAP recipients, the model has been piloted with caregivers, incarcerated women in the Pike County Jail, youth programs and others.

The model stands out for its multi-layered approach. Participants receive foundational business training tailored for beginners, mentorship, practical assignments, and a certificate of completion co-signed by TROY’s Sorrell College of Business Dean and the SBDC Director. The program integrates current technology, including AI tools for business planning and marketing, ensuring the content remains relevant and empowering.

Unlike other national programs that follow a rigid curriculum, Start Your Business is deliberately built for adaptability— capable of being delivered in 5 to 20 sessions, online, hybrid, or in-person, and designed to meet clients exactly where they are.

“We’re proud that this program was born in South Alabama — not just to serve our community, but to set an example for how workforce development can include entrepreneurship,” said Bolivar.