For Jiale Tu, entrepreneurship isn鈥檛 just a career path 鈥� it鈥檚 a family legacy. Her mother spent decades in China鈥檚 denim industry, working her way out of poverty through sheer resilience. Today, Tu is honoring that history while building a future in sustainable fashion with her brand, Jalet Denim.
Tu is one of 40 founders in the inaugural cohort of , a new entrepreneurship program at Miami Dade College鈥檚 . Launched in partnership with the University of Notre Dame鈥檚 Urban Poverty and Business Initiative, the program is designed to turn the entrepreneurial dreams of local residents into sustainable engines of economic mobility.
鈥淢y mother entered the denim industry because she saw an opportunity and acted on it,鈥� Tu said. 鈥淏uild Up gave me a community of fellow founders, a strong business foundation, and the inspiration to build a purpose-driven brand.鈥�
While Build Up is new to Miami, its DNA is global. The program utilizes a proven 80-step model developed by Dr. Michael Morris at Notre Dame鈥檚 McKenna Center, which has already helped over 3,000 entrepreneurs in more than 60 cities. The initiative arrived at MDC through support from The Coca-Cola Company, which is investing in community growth ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
鈥淭hrough Build Up, we are ensuring that aspiring founders 鈥� many launching businesses to solve real challenges in their communities 鈥� have the guidance, confidence and connections to transform their ideas into engines of opportunity,鈥� said Jorge H. Gonzalez, Executive Director of The Idea Center, in a statement.
The program stands out for its intensive, nearly year-long commitment. Unlike short-term workshops, Build Up provides a structured three-phase pipeline. That would be a six-week intensive bootcamp focused on business fundamentals, then four months of one-on-one guidance from seasoned business leaders, and ending with four months of collaboration with MDC student teams.
This final stage is a win-win for the college. Students in a capstone bachelor鈥檚 degree class serve as consultants, supervised by a faculty member, to help founders with deliverables like financial tracking systems, marketing plans, and market research.
鈥淚t is personalized support,鈥� explained Jorge I. Guillen, the Idea Center鈥檚 Small Business Program Manager, in an interview with Refresh Miami. 鈥淓ntrepreneurship is a journey 鈥� it鈥檚 not a thing that you accomplish in a few weeks or in a couple of months. We understand that with this program, and that鈥檚 why this is almost a full year of engagement.鈥�
Guillen noted that the current cohort is a mix of about 40% MDC students and about 60% community members, all of whom become MDC students while in the program so they can access college resources.
鈥淲e鈥檙e very open to anyone who has a dream but hasn鈥檛 been able to get the support that they need,鈥� Guillen said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e interested in having a mix 鈥� people who are starting from scratch just with a business idea and people who are already selling something but aren鈥檛 doing great and need to refine the business that they have.鈥�
For those who have already moved past the initial stages and are generating significant revenue, The Idea Center offers a separate .
The new Build Up program, free to participants, is already growing. While the first cohort launched at the Meek Center in Liberty City, and members are continuing their work with mentors and consultants, a second cohort of 30 entrepreneurs is set to launch today at MDC鈥檚 Homestead Campus. In future years, Build Up plans to launch more cohorts at different MDC campuses to help ensure geographic equity across Miami-Dade County.
For Guillen, the program鈥檚 success will be defined by long-term sustainability. If, after the program ends, at least 80% of [cohort members] can live on the profits that they make from their businesses, 鈥渢hat would be success,鈥� he says.
Cohort 1 participants, who have completed the bootcamp portion but are still just halfway through the entire program, say they鈥檝e already found the program to be beneficial.
鈥淚f you鈥檝e never launched a business, you just don鈥檛 know what you don鈥檛 know,鈥� says Billy Jean Louis, one of the participants. 鈥淏uild Up gave me the marketing skills, budgeting tools, and confidence I was missing. But even more importantly, it gave me a community of ambitious, mission-driven peers.鈥�
As for Jiale Tu, the program has already delivered. After 30 hours of training and dozens of customer interviews, Jalet Denim has secured its first two clients and three pilot collaborations.
Says Tu: 鈥淲hat began as a personal idea is now a business with real customers and a clear path forward.鈥�
Find out more about Build Up .
This story was originally published by , a SA国际传谋 News partner. Refresh Miami is the oldest and largest tech and startup community in Miami with over 16,000 members.
