Thirty aspiring business owners have completed the City of Buckeye’s inaugural Business Builder Startup Academy, a milestone city leaders say could help strengthen the local economy by creating new businesses, jobs and investment opportunities.
The 10-month program, launched through the city's Buckeye Business Builder initiative, was designed to help entrepreneurs move from business concepts to operational companies through training, mentorship and access to resources.
Participants received instruction on topics critical to launching and sustaining a business, including business planning, marketing strategies, licensing requirements, taxes, insurance, financing, artificial intelligence applications, public speaking and investor pitching.
Economic development officials view the academy as part of a broader effort to diversify Buckeye’s business community and support homegrown entrepreneurship alongside the city’s rapid population and commercial growth.
The program concluded with a graduation ceremony and business pitch competition attended by nearly 100 people, including Buckeye Mayor Eric Orsborn, business mentors, community partners and family members of the graduates.
The event gave participants an opportunity to present their business ideas before a live audience, showcasing ventures ranging from startup concepts to growing enterprises.
One entrepreneur emerged as the evening's standout.
Kevin Ivory, founder of the Ivory Strong Foundation, earned all three top honors awarded during the competition: Mayor's Choice, Audience Choice and Best Pitch. His presentation highlighted the organization's mission of supporting youth and military veterans throughout the community.
City officials said the academy's first graduating class demonstrates growing entrepreneurial interest in Buckeye, where economic development efforts have traditionally focused on attracting large employers, retailers and industrial projects. Programs such as the Startup Academy aim to ensure local residents also have access to the tools needed to build successful businesses from within the community.
Small-business development has become an increasingly important component of Buckeye's economic strategy, city leaders said. While major commercial projects often generate headlines, locally owned businesses frequently create lasting community connections and contribute to long-term economic resilience.
The Business Builder Startup Academy is one component of the city's larger Buckeye Business Builder program, which provides educational resources, networking opportunities and business support services for entrepreneurs and small-business owners.
Following the success of the inaugural cohort, city officials plan to launch a second Startup Academy class in January 2027. Applications are expected to open this fall.
For Buckeye's growing entrepreneurial community, the graduation represents more than the completion of a training program — it marks the beginning of what city leaders hope will be a new generation of locally grown businesses contributing to the city's economic future.
