Economic Development

From targeted workshops to networking events, the Ed Portal provides the Allston-Brighton business community with programs designed to promote success in a dynamic 21st century economy. Harvard also remains committed to facilitating engagement between community partners to ensure vibrancy of the Western Avenue commercial district and its identity as a neighborhood where local businesses can grow and thrive.

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Events

2024 Mar 19

Harvard ManageMentor: Customer Focus for Small Businesses [Virtual Program]

Repeats every week every Tuesday until Tue Mar 26 2024 .
5:30pm to 6:45pm

Location: 

Harvard Ed Portal, 224 Western Ave., Allston


Unlock the potential of customer-centricity in your business by joining our four-week Harvard Manage Mentor course “Customer Focus.” This program serves as your roadmap to understanding, implementing, and maximizing the benefits of prioritizing your customers.

Virtual Meeting Dates: March 5, 12, 19, 26

*Registrants are required to attend all four sessions and complete the necessary homework on the ManageMentor platform before each class.

Registration Deadline: Thursday, February 29...

Read more about Harvard ManageMentor: Customer Focus for Small Businesses [Virtual Program]
2024 Mar 20

Business Builders: Building Operational Capacity for Small Businesses

5:30pm to 7:00pm

Location: 

Harvard Ed Portal, 224 Western Ave., Allston

Designed specifically for small businesses navigating their first 1-3 years, this workshop provides the tools to strengthen operational foundations. Learn essential strategies to optimize processes, systems, and team dynamics, laying the groundwork for scalable and sustainable growth. Gain insights on planning expansion, streamlining operations, and preparing for future challenges. Join us for a workshop that empowers your business to thrive in its crucial early years!

... Read more about Business Builders: Building Operational Capacity for Small Businesses

2024 Mar 26

Harvard ManageMentor: Customer Focus for Small Businesses [Virtual Program]

5:30pm to 6:45pm

Location: 

Harvard Ed Portal, 224 Western Ave., Allston


Unlock the potential of customer-centricity in your business by joining our four-week Harvard Manage Mentor course “Customer Focus.” This program serves as your roadmap to understanding, implementing, and maximizing the benefits of prioritizing your customers.

Virtual Meeting Dates: March 5, 12, 19, 26

*Registrants are required to attend all four sessions and complete the necessary homework on the ManageMentor platform before each class.

Registration Deadline: Thursday, February 29...

Read more about Harvard ManageMentor: Customer Focus for Small Businesses [Virtual Program]
All events

Small Business Planning and Advancement Programs

For the prospective business owner, start-up, or existing small business, we offer workshops, coaching, and online learning to help you plan and advance your business. Our workshops are interactive, results-oriented, and relevant to the current economy and business climate. Our instructors are experts in their field and draw on their experience as business owners themselves.

Economic Development Newsletter

Allston-Brighton businesses, their employees, and Harvard Ed Portal members can receive first-access to Harvard Ed Portal programs and opportunities through the Economic Development monthly newsletter. Also included in the newsletter are articles, media, and events featuring Harvard faculty and guests that will help you keep current on recent research, analysis, and issues in the business world.

Sign Up for the Newsletter

Money accumulating

Business Builders Wednesdays

The Harvard Ed Portal hosts small business workshops on select Wednesdays every month. Each session features a learning objective or networking opportunity relevant to small business owners, artists, creatives, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs of all kinds, to help you gain new skills to invest in yourself and your business. These workshops are delivered in collaboration with respected partners from the local business, economic development, and nonprofit communities.

View sample topics & partners

Sample Topics:

  • Introduction to Grants Research
  • Networking
  • Employee Retention Credit (ERC) Grants
  • Meeting Funders Where They Are

Partners:

  • SCORE Boston
  • Newmarket Business Improvement District (BID)
  • Philanthropy Massachusetts

Open for Business sign

Launch Your Business

This series of workshops and educational opportunities allow you to invest in your business. These workshops are presented by leaders and experts in the local business community, including state and city government offices, private nonprofit resources, Chambers of Commerce, and other small business administrations and support services.

View sample topics & partners

Sample Topics:

  • Prepshift Restaurant Workshop Series
  • Start a Business with an ITIN or EIN

Partners:

  • Prepshift
  • Roads Consulting Group

The programs Harvard ManageMentor offers to Allston, Brighton, and Cambridge entrepreneurs and business owners are invaluable. Not only do these programs provide a tremendous amount of resources and applicable tools to help entrepreneurs start and grow sustainable, scalable businesses, but they also foster a strong sense of community while offering the opportunity to focus on the specific challenges and aspirations of each entrepreneur.

I have enjoyed sharing my business knowledge and expertise to help entrepreneurs overcome the challenges they face; find the courage to grow their businesses; discover how to innovate, think, and act strategically; and how to promote their products and services.

Areen Shahbari
Harvard Instructor, Innovation & Strategy Consultant, Corporate Trainer, and Entrepreneur
Areen Shahbari

Flexible Self-Paced Learning

HarvardX

HarvardX

Browse free online courses in a variety of subjects from HarvardX, a University-wide initiative which was launched in parallel with edX, a non-profit learning platform founded by Harvard and MIT.

Browse Courses

flexible learning

LinkedIn Learning

LinkedIn Learning Scholarships are provided to Allston-Brighton residents and/or Harvard Ed Portal members when they attend an Ed Portal Economic Development program.

Learn More

The day-to-day of local business owners is fast-paced and always changing. The Harvard Ed Portal helps provide us with programs, connections, and resources that allow us all to be partners together in the exciting transformations along Western Avenue.

Benny Omid
Franchisee, Dunkin’ Donuts
209 North Harvard Street, Allston
Benny Omid

..

Resources

Harvard University is rich with free resources that all business owners can access. Sign up for newsletters that are of interest to you, follow podcasts, read the latest research, and attend lectures. Massachusetts and Boston government offices, such as the Supplier Diversity Office and Small Business Administration, provide services that can enrich your business. Online business resources offer free workshops, coaching, and more.
 

Find Resources

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Scholarships & Public Funding

Working with Harvard University partners, the Harvard Ed Portal offers more than 70 scholarships annually to Allston-Brighton residents and Harvard Ed Portal members in everything from continuing education, wellness, arts, and more.

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Student doing work at desk

HarvardX for Allston Scholarship

Offered on a rolling basis, the HarvardX for Allston Scholarship helps recipients enhance career opportunities, explore an interest, or learn something new.

Extension School

Allston-Brighton Community Scholarship

Harvard Ed Portal members, who are at least 18 years old, are eligible to apply for tuition waivers for the undergraduate or graduate certificate programs at the Harvard Extension School.

Ribbon-cutting ceremony at Smith Field Park in Allston

Harvard-Allston Public Realm Flexible Fund

Supports projects that enhance the public realm and for which public sources of financing may be unavailable or inadequate, including improvements in public parks and open spaces, and neighborhood beautification.

Economic Development Partners

Faculty Speaker Economic Development

Harvard Partners

Working with University partners to provide the tools, connections, and resources to help Allston-Brighton neighborhood businesses grow.

See the list

Local business networking

Community Partners

Collaborating with Allston-Brighton partners ensures the vibrancy of the Western Avenue commercial district as a neighborhood where businesses thrive.

See the list

Staff

Harvard Partners

  • Harvard Extension School

  • Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

  • Harvard Athletics

  • Harvard University Human Resources

  • Harvard University Strategic Procurement Department, Supplier Diversity Program

close partner list pop up

Community Partners

  • Action for Boston Community Development
  • Allston Brighton Adult Education Coalition
  • Allston Brighton Community Development Corporation
  • Allston Board of Trade
  • Allston Civic Association
  • Allston Village Main Streets
  • Asian Business Empowerment Council
  • Brighton Board of Trade
  • City of Boston
  • City of Cambridge
  • Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce
  • Harvard Business Publishing
  • SCORE Boston
  • Small Business Administration
  • Supplier Diversity Office
close partner list pop up