Education Never Stops

Congratulations to the Founder/Owner of Rock The House, Matt Radicelli, who graduated, along with 36 other small business owners, from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program this past Saturday, December 14, 2013. This program was created by Goldman Sachs as a $500 million program to unlock the growth and job-creation potential of 10,000 small businesses across the United States through greater access to business education, financial capital and business support services. Through a partnership with the City of Cleveland’s Office of Economic Development, Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C), and the Goldman Sachs Foundation’s $15 million endowment, this program will directly impact the region’s economy in a variety of lasting ways.

During the past 12 weeks, Matt, along with a very diverse group of regional entrepreneurs, took classes across a gamut of management topics including HR, accounting, leadership, marketing, and negotiation with workshops curated by Goldman Sach’s team members. Matt was one of two graduates (along with Alec McClennan, president of Good Nature Organic Lawn Care) who were chosen by their peers to share their stories at Saturday’s graduation ceremony at Tri-C’s Advanced Technology Training Center. “My entire family both at home and at Rock The House were extremely supportive during the three month program”, says Matt. “I couldn’t have done it without their support and understanding.  They are truly appreciated!”

Matt on the impact of the program on Rock The House:

“During one of the financial clinics, a quote was used on the video screen that said, ‘Anyone Who Can Be your Competitor, Can Be Your Partner’. That Ah-ha moment led to me offering to buy one of our competitors that very same day and we closed the deal to purchase Zone Entertainment 48 hours before I graduated from the program.”

“One of the most important roles of a leader is to spend a considerable amount of time on marketing and sales innovation. The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program put me in a position where a regimented schedule gave me the opportunity to spend considerable amounts of time on the business.”

“All entrepreneurs have an inner need to create something from nothing or to continuously create and improve those around them. This program has helped to reinvigorate me and to remind me of the things that I really enjoy doing and that I need to delegate everything else.”

“The program allowed me to develop new contacts with other Cleveland-based entrepreneurs that also led to the creation of friendships with more than 40 people including my classmates and the program faculty and staff.”

For more information on the program, watch Goldman Sach’s video: