Goldman Sachs: The 10,000 Small Businesses Program

In 2008, Goldman Sachs started the 10,000 Small Businesses program to help small businesses in the United States by providing education and a network of support—at no cost —and access to capital. It required the firm to create a new business ecosystem with a wide variety of partners including community colleges, city governments, and national and local support organizations. In 2018, the program had graduated 7,300 scholars—just 2,700 shy of the 10,000 target. The case examines the creation of the 10,000 Small Businesses ecosystem and asks students to judge the merits of the program and whether the program should be sustained beyond 10,000 scholars and, if so, how to fund the program moving forward.