Dream Incubator: Expanding opportunity for entrepreneurs in Washington, DC
Our programs
The Dream Incubator is a nonprofit that offers affordable commercial space and vital resources to small business owners in the Washington, DC area. The organization also provides innovative capacity building to the businesses it supports free of charge.
How Dream Incubator supports small businesses in the United States
How Dream Incubator supports small businesses in the United States
- Dream Incubator was founded in 2017 by entrepreneur Angel Gregorio, who saw an opportunity to support small businesses in her Washington, DC, community by sharing the knowledge and networks she had built. The organization provides mentorship, business coaching, and below-market commercial retail space for startups in the DC area.
- Rooted in the philosophy of “lifting as you climb,” Dream Incubator is dedicated to growing businesses and strengthening the local community.
Program overview
Our work together
- Mastercard Strive USA and the Dream Incubator are tackling the specific challenges small businesses in Washington, DC face — navigating high commercial rents, limited access to capital, and barriers to business education. By filling these gaps, Dream Incubator is ensuring that entrepreneurs who are often overlooked due to financial constraints or lack of formal training have the resources to thrive.
- With support from Mastercard Strive USA, this program further develops a capacity business program called the Community Business School. Taught by experts in accounting, tax preparation, social media, and more, the school’s biweekly masterclasses are free and open to all. This initiative aims to drive economic growth, create jobs, and support community development for 150 entrepreneurs.
- Through this partnership, Dream Incubator provides one-on-one mentorship and coaching to 22 DC small businesses, building on connections formed through its shared retail space.
By the numbers
- As of December 2024, Dream Incubator has hosted over 2,300 pop-up market opportunities for small businesses. This program will expand that impact — offering 420 retail pop-ups and 430 agricultural pop-ups through community farmers’ markets.
“Our partnership with Mastercard Strive USA is exactly the type of comprehensive support small business owners need to grow and thrive — funding coupled with technical assistance, free from red tape and strings.”
Angel Gregorio
Founder, The Dream Incubator & The Spice Suite
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