Santander celebrated the completion of its Fall 2025 Cultivate Small Business cohort with graduation events in Philadelphia and Miami, recognizing the achievements of nearly 100 early-stage food entrepreneurs. The program combines technical assistance, mentorship and capital to help small business owners scale.
Santander allocated $600,000 in capital grants to program participants this year, including $300,000 awarded to the Fall cohort. Every graduate received a minimum of $2,500, with additional top-tier grants awarded to select entrepreneurs in recognition of deep engagement, compelling action plans and strong final pitch presentations.
With this graduating class, Cultivate Small Business has now supported more than 900 entrepreneurs and distributed over $3 million in capital grants since the program’s launch in 2017. The initiative remains grounded in Santander’s global commitment to Education, Entrepreneurship, and Employability, helping historically underserved founders access the tools, networks and funding needed to build thriving businesses.
As part of this year’s programming, Santander introduced its first-ever alumni pitch competition, strengthening long-term engagement with the growing Cultivate Small Business network. Drawing from hundreds of applications submitted by graduates of the first ten cohorts, three finalists were selected to deliver live pitches before a panel of judges representing Santander, the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, Babson College and Finanta, a Pennsylvania Community Development Financial Institution.
Finalists competed for awards of $20,000, $35,000 and $50,000, with each entrepreneur guaranteed a minimum of $20,000. Winners were determined based on demonstrated business growth since program participation, contributions to local economic and social impact, and readiness for future scale.
Since its inception, Cultivate Small Business has expanded from Greater Boston to support entrepreneurs in Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Dallas, Greater Philadelphia and Greater Miami — with plans underway to broaden its reach. For the first time, Cultivate Small Business is expanding to entrepreneurs nationwide. Applications are now open through February 2, 2025, for the Spring 2026 cohort. To apply, visit https://bit.ly/csbapplication. For more information or questions regarding program eligibility, contact CultivateSmallBusiness@Santander.us.