Milestone Circles Information Session - October 2026 (Article)

What is the Milestone Circles program?

Milestone Circles is a free, 12-week, peer-led virtual program from the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center for U.S.-based founders pursuing growth. Kamy Twiggs Taylor of the Center explained that each founder sets one milestone tied to a critical business need, then works toward it with a peer circle, mentors, and live classes. 

You answer the phone, run the sales meetings, post the marketing, and reply to every email. By the end of the day there is no time left to plan, let alone grow. Taylor opened the Center’s Milestone Circles information session by asking founders what they were stuck in, and the chat filled fast: not enough leads, too many priorities, a plan that never gets executed.

On October 1, 2026, Taylor, Director, U.S. SMB Entrepreneurial Programs & Volunteerism at the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center, walked through how the program works, who it is for, and how to apply. Here is what she shared.

The program is built around time, resources, and support

Taylor named the three gaps she hears about most from business owners.

1. Time: You spend so much time working in your business that you have none left to work on it.
2. Resources: You know what you need to do next, but not where to find the tool, connection, or plan to do it.
3. Support: Friends and family may not understand why you are building a business at all, and you feel like you are working alone.

Milestone Circles is designed to address all three. In Taylor’s words, it helps founders “accelerate your leadership and achieve significant strategic company growth” by first clarifying the growth goals that matter most.

How the 12 weeks work

The program runs in three stages.

Onboarding: set your milestone

You start by focusing on your values, your why, and your vision. Then you set a milestone. At the Center, a milestone is an important goal for your business that takes time, tenacity, and creative thinking to reach. Yours is based on your most critical business need, and it should be something you can accomplish in 12 weeks.

Your circle: work toward it with peers

After onboarding, you join a circle, a small peer group of founders who move through the 12 weeks together. You find accountability partners, meet with your circle, and attend live classes that match your milestone.

Those classes are chosen on purpose. When founders share what they are working on, the Center plans classes around those needs. “So don’t be surprised when you come to a class in about a month from now and you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, this class that’s coming up, that is my milestone.’ All of that is by design,” Taylor said.

Graduation: set your next milestone

You finish with a renewed vision, an accomplished milestone, your next milestone, and a commitment to pay the experience forward.

You set the pace

The schedule is flexible. There are no required times or places, and you join live sessions when they fit your week. Taylor compared the program to a road trip: the Center rides in the passenger seat and packs the trunk with resources, “but you are driving the vehicle. You are leading your journey.”

Here is what you can tap into along the way:

• Your online community: Participants connect on Mighty Networks, an online community platform with an app. You can search by keyword, such as “SEO strategy,” to find past conversations and founders with that expertise.
• Wednesday accountability sessions: A weekly time to check in with founders and mentors on the smaller goals that build toward your milestone.
• An executive coach: Weekly sessions with an experienced coach who supports founders.
• Cornerstone mentors: Program graduates who have accomplished their own milestones and come back to support new participants.
• Mentor Makers: The Center’s free platform for one-on-one or small-group sessions with subject matter experts.

What makes the program different, Taylor said, is the community: “a robust group of dynamic founders with expertise, backgrounds, talents that are all committed to supporting the growth of one another.”

Who can apply and how

Milestone Circles is open to U.S.-based founders of every stage, background, and need. It is free, presented by the Wells Fargo Foundation. In return, graduates are asked to pay it forward, whether through their own businesses, by building community where they live, or by returning as cornerstone mentors.

To apply, complete the application on the Center’s website. You should hear back in about 48 hours, along with your assigned start date.

If you are based outside the United States, Taylor pointed to Milestone Makers, a separate program at the Center that is open to founders worldwide and runs themed cohorts a few times a year.

Apply this week

If you are stuck working in your business instead of on it, choose the one goal that would change your next 12 weeks, then apply. Milestone Circles has served 8,876 founders, and it is free.

To keep learning in the meantime, browse the Center’s free Community Classes.

Watch the full information session.