ELEVATE
ELEVATE
ELEVATE (Executive Leadership Education Venture Advancing Talented Entrepreneurs) is a premier training initiative designed to empower small and medium-sized businesses in the D.C. area. Developed by the Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence (CFEE) at the GW School of Business in partnership with The Coalition (formerly CNHED), and led by esteemed GWSB faculty, ELEVATE delivers best-in-class education focused on practical business growth strategies. The program equips business owners with the tools to optimize operations, enhance product and service delivery, boost revenue, create new employment opportunities more effectively and efficiently, and increase revenue and employment.
2025 ELEVATE Cohort
ELEVATE Cohort V focuses on businesses championing sustainable business models, supporting and empowering District-based enterprises committed to integrating sustainable practices and driving environmental innovation for growth and expansion.
Businesses engaged in sustainable supply chains, green manufacturing, renewable energy, eco-friendly products and services, and other forward-thinking initiatives that promote environmental stewardship were considered.
Three core curriculum elements will be highlighted:
- A set of standardized business skills for growth and expansion
- A specialized track for contracting and procurement with anchor institutions and corporations
- A unique diagnostic tool to assess the strengths and needs of individual businesses
Small and medium-sized business owners who complete ELEVATE will emerge with renewed clarity, confidence, and momentum — equipped with the strategies and insights needed to elevate their businesses to new heights in growth and expansion.
About ELEVATE
The Executive Leadership Education Venture Advancing Talented Entrepreneurs (ELEVATE) program is a partnership between The Coalition (formerly CNHED) and the GW School of Business. It provides best-in-class training to small businesses in Washington, D.C. and the surrounding metropolitan area. Through ELEVATE, metro area small business owners work to acquire new skills that allow them to more effectively and efficiently manage their business, products, and services and increase revenue and employment.
ELEVATE is the only executive education program in D.C. backed by a university partner. The three-month ELEVATE curriculum, developed by the Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence, is led by business school faculty members.
About the Center For Entrepreneurial Excellence (CFEE) at the GW School of Business
Established in 2005, the Center For Entrepreneurial Excellence (CFEE) at the George Washington University School of Business (GWSB) strives to empower entrepreneurs by integrating academic objectives within GW’s business community. CFEE engages in research and other scholarly activities that significantly contribute to entrepreneurship education, entrepreneurial leadership, women’s entrepreneurial leadership, and new venture development. CFEE works with the GW School of Business and the International Council for Small Business (ICSB), among other partners, to advance GWSB's nationally-recognized achievements in the field of entrepreneurship education and to further promote entrepreneurship among students and throughout communities.
About The Coalition
The Coalition is a dynamic 501(c)3 nonprofit that advances equitable community economic development solutions in the District of Columbia. Their holistic systems-change approach encompasses community-informed budget and policy advocacy, data-driven thought leadership, and needs-based programmatic initiatives in Housing and Homelessness, Workforce Development, and Small Business Ecosystem Building.
Featured image: Graduates of ELEVATE cohort IV gather for a photo on the rooftop of the Elliott School of Public Affairs building in downtown Washington, D.C.