FastTrac^® Programs

Helping People Pursue their Entrepreneurial Dreams

An award-winning, comprehensive package of entrepreneur-learning programs and materials, FastTrac^® provides existing and aspiring entrepreneurs with key business insights and skills, leadership experiences, and valuable networking and mentoring opportunities they need to start, grow, and lead businesses.

FastTrac^® programs serve existing and aspiring entrepreneurs in non-academic environments. In addition, college students in their academic environment earn credit for completing courses using FastTrac^® materials. FastTrac^® has served nearly 300,000 entrepreneurs since 1993.

FastTrac^® programs are delivered by a variety of over 300 alliance organizations—non-profit and for-profit alike—including chambers of commerce, business development centers, local and regional economic development councils, colleges, universities, consulting firms, and many others.

Originally launched through the University of Southern California's Entrepreneurship Program in Los Angeles in 1986, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation became the major funder and supporter of FastTrac^® in 1993. After years of investing in FastTrac^®, in 1997 the Kauffman Foundation went on to purchase the FastTrac^® program in what the Kauffman Foundation called “a practical way to pursue its mission to accelerate entrepreneurship in America”. Today the Kauffman Foundation remains committed to helping entrepreneurs start, grow, and lead innovative businesses through the FastTrac^® tools it creates and disseminates for both non-academic and academic environments.

About the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

The late entrepreneur and philanthropist Ewing Kauffman established the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation as the first foundation to focus on entrepreneurship as one of its primary areas of interest.

An epitome of American entrepreneurship, Kauffman saw business enterprise as one of the most effective ways to unleash human potential and stir the economy to life. He viewed entrepreneurship as the most powerful strategy to help individuals gain economic independence and serve as a catalyst for creating jobs and wealth in society.

Today, the Kauffman Foundation is devoted to advancing entrepreneurship as one of the fundamental aspects of life in the United States. Focusing on research, education, technical assistance, and policy, we work to increase the number and success rate of individuals engaged in the process of starting or growing their own business or idea. We work with partners to design programs based on the proven principles, techniques, and leadership tactics that make starting and growing a business a more common choice for Americans of all walks of life. The Foundation is based in Kansas City, Mo. and has around $2.1 billion in assets. For more information about the Kauffman foundation go to www.kauffman.org.