Calling all Forest Entrepreneurs!
Are you ready to launch or expand your forest-based business? Join us for tuition-free bootcamps designed to help entrepreneurs build sustainable forest-based businesses and wood product enterprises.
Forest Entrepreneurship
Intro to Forest Entrepreneurship - Auburn, CA
Saturday, July 18 - Sunday, July 19, 2026
Calling all Forestry Entrepreneurs!
Are you looking to start or grow a forest-based business? Sierra Business Council and Sierra Commons are offering a free two-day Forest Entrepreneurship Bootcamp on July 18-19 in Auburn, CA to help entrepreneurs build successful, sustainable ventures in this rapidly expanding industry.
Forestry-based businesses are more critical than ever, from wildfire mitigation and prescribed fire application to bioenergy and home hardening. Participants will gain insights from industry and business experts, develop essential skills, and connect with a powerful network of like-minded professionals.
About the Bootcamp
Robert Trent, founder of Sierra Commons, will lead the course. Throughout the weekend, guest presenters will provide valuable information and resources.
Students will learn the fundamentals of good business, from finance, pricing, and cash flow to research, marketing, and sales, as well as the complex world of government contracts and permits. With a weekly accountability group and one-to-one advising, students will expand their knowledge and gain access to resources.
Each participant is eligible for personalized technical assistance at no cost through the SBDC program.
The curriculum is designed to provide:
Technical assistance to launch small businesses
Entrepreneurial development focused on a broad range of forest and wood-based businesses
Training and guidance for transforming businesses
Opportunities to showcase emerging business opportunities
Guidance on the benefits of wildfire reduction and economic development, at the nexus of wood product development and outdoor recreation in rural forested communities
Funding for this program was provided by a Good Jobs Challenge EDA-funded grant through the Foundation for California Community Colleges to conduct forestry and fire-mitigation training programs in the Sierra Nevada region of northeastern California. Scale and Grow Your Business
Take advantage of a new opportunity to advance your career and build resilient communities.
“Sierra Commons has provided more than enough resources for someone to take advantage of. It's fantastic.
Whether you already have a business or are looking to add more services, connect with a new client base, form a joint venture with a service provider who is already there, the workshop was a powerful practice. Just being in the room was really helpful."
- Josh Brown
Build a Thriving Forest Business!
With increasing pressure on our forests from climate change and wildfires, the demand for innovative, land-based businesses is growing every year. Whether you're just starting out or looking to grow your existing business, this course provides the skills, connections, and resources you need to succeed.
This program is tailored for businesses in forest thinning and management, defensible space, prescribed fire application, timber product manufacturing, small-diameter timber utilization, biofuel, bioenergy, home hardening, plant restoration, and forestry logistics.
This is more than a course—it’s a launchpad for success in an industry that’s vital to the future of our forests and rural communities.
Funding for this program was provided by a Good Jobs Challenge EDA-funded grant through the Foundation for California Community Colleges to conduct forestry and fire-mitigation training programs in the Sierra Nevada region of northeastern California.
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