The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce today announced it has received a $25,000 grant from the U.S. Bank Foundation for a new Small Business Incubator Program.
The incubator program will provide funds for selected small business applicants so that they can have an opportunity to establish or grow their businesses. The entrepreneurs also will be able to have one-on-one appointments with the Small Business Development Center at MoWest and U.S. Bank loan officers to help participants explore financing and capital resources when they are ready to grow.
“The funding from the U.S. Bank Foundation plays an important role in helping us develop this program that will drive opportunity for future entrepreneurs downtown,” said Natalie Hawn, President and CEO of the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce. “We’re very excited to launch this program, which will help spur more small business development.”
The program brings together education composed of workshops led by the SBDC, Launch Pad, Show-Me Network as well as access to capital and physical retail space. Grant awardees will have access to reduced rent at The Madison, 716 Felix St., which is a newly redeveloped space at Felix Street Square which has retail opportunities downstairs.
“Small businesses are the backbone of strong communities,” said Kristen Polchinski, community affairs manager at U.S. Bank. “We’re proud to work with organizations like the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce to help entrepreneurs grow and succeed.”
If you are a small business owner or entrepreneur considering downtown and are interested in applying for one of the three $3,000 grants that will be awarded in 2026, 2027 and 2028, you can find the grant application on the Launch Pad website: www.stjlaunchpad.com. The deadline to submit your application is Oct. 30, 2026.