Idea To First Dollar Startup Incubator

Cohort 2 • Rock County Wisonsin • Fall 2026

Eight founders. Eight weeks. One goal: get paid.

Cohort 1 marked the launch of the Business Readiness Program’s in-person startup incubator in Rock County, Wisconsin. This first group of founders helped shape the foundation of what would become an ongoing, community-anchored pathway from idea to income.

Held in person at the Janesville Innovation Center, Cohort 1 brought together local entrepreneurs committed to building practical businesses, learning by doing, and supporting one another through the early stages of growth.

This page serves as a record of that first cohort and the work they completed together.

Cohort 2 Pitch Night Hosted At:

Rock County Wisconsin Cohort Snapshot

Cohort Duration: August 21 – Ocotober 20, 2026 (8 weeks)
Location: Janesville Innovation Center
Applications: 16
Participants: 8 founders
Culminating Event: Live Pitch Night at The Woodman's Sports & Convention Center in Janesville, WI
Money Made (During Cohort): Total Gross $10k+
Business Type: 1 Software (SaaS), 5 Service Based, 2 Product & Service

"Cohort 1 answered one question for us: does this work in Rock County? It does. Cohort 2 was about doing it again, on purpose.
There's no shortage of people around here with good ideas and the drive to build them. What most of them don't have is a schedule, someone asking 'did you do it?' every week, and a room full of people working through the same problems.
That's what this program is. Eight weeks, in person, built around doing the work instead of talking about it.
This group brought in more than $10,000 before the cohort even wrapped. That's the whole point."
- Jocelyn, President of BRP