Option C Foundation serves adults who face barriers that make traditional employment difficult — and who are serious about building a better path through entrepreneurship.
Option C Foundation works with adults from diverse backgrounds. Here are the primary groups we serve:
Adults with physical disabilities, chronic illness, sensory disabilities, or other health conditions seeking flexible self-employment that accommodates their needs.
Learn More →Adults with prior criminal records seeking to rebuild their lives through legitimate small business ownership, without background checks barring opportunity.
Learn More →Adults who have been out of work for extended periods and face barriers re-entering traditional employment, but are ready to build their own business.
Learn More →Individuals with business drive but lacking mentorship, planning guidance, structured support, or professional networks to launch successfully.
Learn More →While our participants face different barriers, they share three essential qualities:
A genuine desire to create income and value on their own terms, not just seeking a quick fix.
Readiness to invest time, effort, and intellectual energy into planning, learning, and launching their business.
Trust in mentorship and willingness to be held accountable to their commitments and business plans.
These are not character flaws or signs of inability. They are real systemic barriers that our program is designed to address:
Here are answers to questions we hear most often:
No. Many of our participants start without a clear idea. Our program includes ideation and validation support to help you identify a business that fits your skills, interests, constraints, and market opportunity. Some people come in with a rough idea and we sharpen it together. Others discover their business idea during the first few weeks of the program.
That's completely fine. Our program is built for people at all experience levels. We teach business fundamentals, planning, pricing, customer acquisition, financial management, and operations. You'll work with mentors who have real business experience and will guide you through each stage.
Our core program runs 12-16 weeks, structured around your business launch. Most participants launch their first business within this timeframe. We provide ongoing mentorship and support after launch as well, though the intensive structured phase is the initial period.
Our program is free for qualified participants. This includes all instruction, mentorship, planning materials, and ongoing support. We're a nonprofit and believe entrepreneurship education should not be gated by cost. You will need to invest in your actual business startup costs (which vary widely depending on business type), but the education and mentorship is entirely free.
We design the program with flexibility in mind. Many participants are working other jobs, managing caregiving responsibilities, or dealing with health challenges. We structure mentorship sessions, milestones, and work around your actual capacity. The key is consistent participation and honest communication about your constraints.
Take the next step and see if you qualify for Option C Foundation's free business launch program.
See If You Qualify