SCORE Mentors

09/07/2026

Pin it to the SCOREboard 📌

What's one resource, podcast, app, or book you'd recommend to every entrepreneur?

We'll use the comment section as a sounding board to offer resources and support.

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Have something YOU want to ask other entrepreneurs? DM us to submit your prompts. 📩

09/04/2026

“​​With SCORE you have someone in your corner who can ask you the right questions, connect you with experts, and help you access a world of opportunity.”

For Amanda Chavero, founder of Dear Donor, building a business meant turning a decade of nonprofit experience into a new kind of opportunity: helping small organizations do more without significantly increasing their overhead.

But expertise in her field didn't automatically mean knowing how to build a business.

So Amanda turned to SCORE.

Her mentor, Mark Lancaster, helped her develop a long-term vision, navigate HR questions, distinguish growth from scale, and even plan for maternity leave as her business expanded.

The results came quickly. In Dear Donor's first full year, Amanda raised more than $700,000. The following year, with two employees on her team, she raised $3.2 million with a 40% success rate.

Today, Dear Donor is helping nonprofits build capacity and secure the resources they need to make their missions possible. And Amanda is doing it with the confidence and perspective she gained along the way.

“I love helping my clients capture their dreams,” she says, “and I appreciate SCORE’s help in realizing mine.”

09/03/2026

Quote of the day.

09/03/2026

"You can run a business really well and still be unhappy if the business model doesn’t match your own rhythm and flow."

Excellent read!!

09/03/2026

09/02/2026

Kenneth McLaurin, Founder of Evolution Skincare & SHIS and SCORE client, was recently invited to share his work at Atlanta Tech Week.

Reflecting on the opportunity and the people and communities that have helped shape his journey, he said:

“No one builds something meaningful alone.”

From challenging him to think differently to providing mentorship, resources, and connections, SCORE has been part of Kenneth’s journey as he continues to grow his business and expand his vision for its impact.

His story is a reminder that sometimes the right conversation, connection, or piece of advice can change the trajectory of what you're building.

Way to go, Kenneth! We can't wait to see where you GROW next.

08/31/2026

Tax season doesn't only come once a year for many small business owners.

If you're self-employed, run a partnership or own a corporation, the IRS may expect you to pay taxes four times a year rather than in one lump sum each spring.

Learn more in our latest article, brought to you by Block Advisors by H&R Block.

Find out why quarterly taxes matter to your business and how you can take care of them.

08/31/2026

Sometimes tax season arrives before your records are ready. The good news is that the IRS offers a simple tool built for exactly this moment: the tax extension.

The key is understanding what an extension actually does and what it doesn't do.

Learn more in our latest article, brought to you by Block Advisors by H&R Block.

Lear what tax extensions are, what they aren't and how to use them effectively for your business.

08/31/2026

Join SCORE Mentors this TUESDAY at 1 PM for their 'Hiring Employees, Contractors or Family – Avoid Costly Tax and Payroll Mistakes' webinar! 💼

Learn the key differences between employees and independent contractors, understand worker classification requirements, and MORE!

Join here ➡️: https://f.mtr.cool/i7rwhzrlw9

11/04/2025

“Being an entrepreneur can sometimes be a super lonely place.”

Today, Baking Coach is a thriving business offering baking and cake decorating classes and innovative baking kits, but that wasn’t always the case. When owner Lisa Basini felt alone in her entrepreneurial pursuit, she turned to SCORE.

“I have had several SCORE mentors depending upon what exactly I am looking to do with my organization. Their encouragement and expert advice has been essential in the success and growth of my business.”

Today, that success looks like this:

- Winning a SCORE pitch competition
- Scaling her operations
- Expanding her product line
- Growing her workforce

AND... celebrating 20 YEARS in business!

Join us in congratulating Lisa and her team on reaching this incredible milestone. 🥳

11/03/2025

💡 Ready to take your business to the next level? SCORE offers live webinars and local workshops to help you start, grow, and thrive.

10/30/2025

👻 Last minute costume has hit the shelves!!!

This Halloween, the SCORE Mentor Costume comes fully equipped with decades of experience, a passion for helping entrepreneurs, and plenty of success stories to share.

🎃 Costume: $54.99 | Mentorship: FREE

10/28/2025

“Go immediately.” That’s Anu CEO Scott Massey’s advice to anyone thinking of working with SCORE.

Anu empowers individuals and communities to grow fresh, nutritious produce at home. They do this through a unique product—a smart garden system that allows consumers to grow their favorite vegetables easily and sustainably, similar to the convenience of a Keurig machine.

“What really makes my SCORE mentor great is that he has a wealth of specific industry experience working with ink cartridges relating to printers. In our business model — providing a seed pod consumable to captive growing systems — there are numerous similarities. That provided a wealth of experience in articulating that business case to investment audiences.”

Learn more about Scott’s innovative business model and how SCORE helped.

10/27/2025

📚 Low-cost business learning opportunities await!

Join a SCORE Quad Cities webinar or workshop this week and 🚀

10/23/2025

✨Full Circle Moment ✨

"When I launched my business 13 years ago, SCORE was a game-changer—helping me learn how to build, scale, and run a business.

So it was an incredible honor to deliver the opening keynote at [my local] SCORE Mentors Accelerate Your Business Conference.

We explored how to build the resilience needed to navigate tough times, change, and uncertainty.

I left inspired by the passion, grit, and brilliance of the women in that room.

Thank you, SCORE, for the work you do to support entrepreneurs—and for giving me the chance to give back to a community that supported me from the start."

- Darcy Luoma, CEO of Darcy Luoma Coaching & Consulting

10/21/2025

"Working with David [my SCORE mentor] has shown me I have the ability to rewrite my whole life, not just a business plan, but my whole future...I'm living the dreams I used to pray about, back in the day when I was on the street."

Homeless, substance dependent and eventually incarcerated-- John Peyton Schmidt used entrepreneurship to turn his life around.

During his incarceration, Schmidt embarked on an academic journey and through that process came up with the idea of launching his own business. Schmidt was introduced to community resources that could help by Arkansas Rehab Services. Communities Unlimited and SCORE mentor David Brunton partnered to devise a plan for Schmidt to obtain a Small Business Administration loan from CU’s Lending Team to develop his business, Wholly Schmidt.

Today, Wholly Schmidt is a mobile food concession stand focused on providing people with high-quality meals and a safe and sober atmosphere at large events. The meals are organic and locally sourced reflecting Schmidt’s passion for fresh produce and meats. Not only does he grow vegetables himself, but he is also able to share seeds with local farmers to help cultivate his community's local produce-- a long-held aspiration of his.

"My story is one of addiction and recovery, rekindling dreams I had set to the side. Today I stand a proud father and business owner. I was only able to get to this point through dedication, hard work, taking suggestions and doing what I could to change my life. In taking those steps, I found SCORE."

10/16/2025

✨ Celebrating Women’s Small Business Month! ✨

If you’re a woman entrepreneur (or want to support one), this is for you!

SCORE’s Women Entrepreneurs Resource Hub is full of inspiration, guidance, and actionable support to help women-owned businesses thrive.

🔍 What you’ll find there:

- Mentoring and networking opportunities
- Business planning templates & guides
- Stories from successful women business owners
- Tips on funding, growth, and leadership

Let’s shine a spotlight on women leaders building tomorrow’s businesses in our community! 💼💡

Link in the comments to check it out and share with someone who could use the boost!

10/14/2025

“Why duplicate mediocrity when you can borrow genius?”

This is Nap Bar Founder Khaliah Guillory’s motto, and she shares that working with a SCORE mentor is doing just that: borrowing genius.

“With decades of experience under his belt, [my mentor] has been an incredible resource - not just for advice, but for opening up new perspectives on scaling Nap Bar. He’s the kind of mentor who knows how to balance big-picture strategy with practical, actionable steps.”

Nap Bar is an eco-luxury rest sanctuary where fatigued travelers and professionals immerse themselves in sustainable custom suites and captivating VR experiences.

Learn more about Khaliah’s innovative business model and how SCORE helped.

10/13/2025

Learning never stops when you’re building your dream! 🌟

Join SCORE mentors and small business experts for low-cost webinars and local events designed to help entrepreneurs like you succeed.