Hunter earns Goldman Sachs program certificate

Saipan entrepreneur Glen Hunter has joined the ranks of business owners graduating from Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses education and mentorship initiative. That makes him the first in the CNMI to have completed and earned a certificate from the program.

“I am so grateful to have been able to complete this program,” Hunter said. “To be part of such a prestigious program is such an honor.”

Hunter is the lead figure in three businesses on Saipan. He is the founder and co-owner of The Shack Saipan, a beachside café in Oleai that serves island-style bistro cuisine, and co-owns and runs The Airstream Saipan, and the recently established GoHydro LLC.

Hunter originally enrolled with the fall 2018 batch of the program, selected from more than 800 applicants. However, he could not complete the program on time due to Super Typhoon Yutu. Hunter got a second chance when he was invited to re-enter the program as part of the spring 2019 batch.

“It was difficult having to pull out after Yutu,” Hunter said. “Although I was stretched pretty thin, I could not pass up the opportunity to start again and complete this program.

“It was by far one of the most challenging professional development courses I have been part of. And it’s definitely the most rewarding.”

The 10,000 Small Business initiative, or 10KSB, is an education and mentorship program launched in 2009 by Goldman Sachs, a leading organization in the securities and investment industry. The program is based at Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, developed under the principle that greater access to education, capital, and support services is the best way to address growth barriers for small businesses. The goal of 10KSB is to help 10,000 small businesses by giving its scholars a condensed and intensive MBA-like training within an 11-week span.

Through 10KSB, qualified business owners can receive guidance in creating a customized growth plan. This growth plan includes opportunity identification and feasibility analysis, financial management, leadership, negotiations, and marketing. Additionally, participants get access to one-on-one business counseling and to a network of peer support from other small business owners, as well as leaders in the business world.

“The program is designed to be highly participative and immediately impactful, emphasizing peer-to-peer and experiential learning focused on their specific business,” said Babson College’s Richard T. Bliss, the program’s national academic director.

“These business owners represent the best of the U.S. economy. This program helps them grow their business, create new jobs, and strengthen our communities. Nearly 70 percent of participants increase revenues and 50 percent create new jobs just six months after graduating,” Bliss added.

According to Hunter: “Aside from the practical training we received from topnotch instructors, we were paired with a personal Virtual Business Advisor who was available throughout the program. My VBA, Susan Deland, was a godsend and someone I will be relying on for advice in years to come.”

The program subdivided the cohort into smaller groups of eight for a higher degree of peer-to-peer learning. “I have developed such a tight bond with everyone in this program and gained lifelong partners in my growth group, The Breakfast Club,” Hunter said.

For more information on The Shack Saipan, visit its website, www.TheShackSaipan.com, or visit its Facebook page, www.facebook.com/TheShackSaipan/. (PR)