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Entrepreneurs’ Resources: Fall 2026

Events, deadlines, and support programs for New Mexico entrepreneurs, August through November 2026. Compiled by UpSpring Associates with the City of Santa Fe Small Business Navigator program.

View the Fall 2026 Entrepreneurs’ Resource List

Have a listing to add? Email info@upspringassociates.com.

Case Studies

UpSpring, during our tenure leading NM Angels, created a series of investor case studies on New Mexico startups and high growth companies, showing the types of entities New Mexicans invested in and how they made money.

Read the full write-ups on our Case Studies page.

Tip Sheet

Tip Sheet #21: Catching the Wave
How guest mentor Tom Lopez’s surfing analogy for entrepreneurs — watching the horizon, feeling the swell, catching the wave — reveals when your venture’s timing is right.

Tip Sheet #20: Angel Investment Tax Credits (AITCs)
How Angel Investment Tax Credits mobilize private capital for startups, how states compare, and what New Mexico can learn from national best practices.

Tip Sheet #19: Secondary Markets as Impact Infrastructure
Why secondary markets have emerged as practical liquidity infrastructure for impact investing, generating documented investor returns while companies stay private and mission-aligned.

Tip Sheet #18: Four Ways to Best Use Your Time
As business owners, we’re pulled in too many directions at once. Overall, managing our time and maintaining priorities helps best advance our enterprise.

Tip Sheet #17: Mission Series
Organizing Sales Prospects: Some Tools
The fourth in our Mission Series, exploring some useful tools for taking control of your sales process and maximizing the return of your sales efforts.

Tip Sheet #16: Mission Series
Organizing Sales Prospects: The Sales Process
The third in our Mission Series, exploring the eight steps of the sales process.

Tip Sheet #15: Mission Series
Organizing Sales Prospects: Some Terminology
The second in our Mission Series, introducing some of the basic terminology and jargon in business to align your mission based thinking.

Tip Sheet #14: Mission Series
Organizing Sales Prospects: Some Theory
The first in our Mission Series, concepts and theory on sales & marketing with useful tools.

Tip Sheet #13: Introducing the Quadruple Bottom Line
Four bottom lines better address growing need to embrace indigenous, religious, and community based work.

Tip Sheet #12: Non-Profit Earned Income Strategies – Where to Start?
This introductory guide assists an organization, its leaders and staff to tackle social enterprise, forming a sequence of steps, and an action plan.

Tip Sheet #11 : Business Plan Outline for Social Enterprises
Create a meaningful business plan to identify your goals, document your direction, and engage your stakeholders.

Tip Sheet #10: Surfing the Crowd Funding Wave, Is it Right for Your Effort?
>lass=”yoast-text-mark” />>Originally posted in the November 2011 Investors’ Circle Newsletter to help evaluate if this alternative source for capital can help grow & sustain good causes.

Tip Sheet #9: Resources for Scaling Up Social Enterprises
Highlighting the use of networking organizations, financing entities, and academic programs to successfully scale up social enterprises.Incorporating Your Business: Co-Authored with the University of Michigan Law School International Transaction Clinic, this series explains the legal documentation to register your company.

Tip Sheet #8: Biggest Concerns for Foreign Investment in the US

TipSheet #7: Commercial Loan Agreement

Tip Sheet #6: Articles of Organization (Limited Liability Company)

Tip Sheet #5: Incorporating Your Business
Understanding what articles of incorporation really mean when registering a company in the U.S.

Tip Sheet #4: Socially Responsible Business Plan Competitions Summary
Entering competitions to improve & promote social innovation efforts.

Tip Sheet #3: NGO Board Member & Professional Volunteer Recruitment
Finding suitable human resources for your good causes.
Additional ideas from our October 2012 Social Enterprise Alliance presentation.

Tip Sheet #2: Twitter 101
This 2 pager is an introduction to Twitter, offering tips to leverage Tweeting to promote & increase exposure for NGOs.

Tip Sheet #1: Google Adwords 101
This 2 pager introduces Google’s advertising program and teaches non-profits how to leverage to market on Google.

Multimedia & Podcasts

New Angel Club Presentations:

A free program open to new and aspiring angel investors wanting to acquire the knowledge and skills to evaluate investment opportunities with New Mexico’s most dynamic businesses.

Angel Club Presentation #2: Start-Up Investing 101

Angel Club Presentation #3: Assessing Start-Ups

Angel Club Presentation #4: Data Rooms and Due Diligence

Angel Club Presentation #5: Capitalization Tables

Angel Club Presentation #6: Seeing the Future

Angel Club Presentation #7: Impact Investing

Webinars & Presentations on Local Investing:
Nearly 200 attendees from community development, impact investing, and the creative community came together to discuss our recent report, and to hear from a diverse set of speakers about ways to unleash more capital for creativity.

Creative Places & Businesses: Catalyzing Growth in Communities.

Santa Fe funhouse Meow Wolf raises $17.5 million to expand its creative economy

Denver Start-Up Week: Innovation + Impact: How Your Business Can be a Force for Good with B Lab, Meow Wolf, Foundry Group, TechStars, Moye White and EcoProducts

Presenting to startup businesses at Denver Startup Week, Drew Tulchin as CFO at Meow Wolf, spoke on traditional and alternative ways to raise capital.
Drew Tulchin presented Get the Capital You Need (pdf).

Webinars with SecondMuse and the Blue Economy Challenge:
The Right Capital: Securing Investment Across the Capital Spectrum

For the fourth year, we held webinars with Native Learning Center. View our past webinars here:

UpSpring Associates has teamed up with Social Enterprise Alliance to present a continuing webinar series on topics surrounding enterprise in the US. Attend sessions monthly, or register to access previous sessions. Previous topics include:

VIDEO & AUDIO:

Drew Tulchin on NM Angels, the only New Mexico based group of individual accredited angel investors focused on investing in early-stage companies in the Southwest. Listen to the podcast.

Drew Tulchin on The Richard Eeds Show (August 2026)

Drew Tulchin on Business Matters with the Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce (August 2026)

Drew Tulchin on the Diligent Observer Podcast

Drew Tulchin on Job Hunt New Mexico

Meow Wolf featured on PBS TV “New Mexico in Focus”

Drew Tulchin spoke at SFAI140, Immigrants with examples of community investment. Presented at Santa Fe Art Institute.

TedX Acequia Madre talk on Local Investing for All.

Capital Raising Strategy Workshop

Leaders of Enchantment Podcast

“The Journey Home” on KSFR 101.1 FM (Santa Fe, NM)
Drew Tulchin shares expertise for social enterprise and recommendations for non-profits and social business models to thrive in the current economy.

Interview #1 (YouTube)
Interview #2 (YouTube)
Interview #3 (YouTube)
Interview #4 (YouTube)

Planet Good Radio – Radio focused on socially responsible business practices through discussion of relevant topics.

Top 10 Things Your Social Enterprise can do to Weather this Economy
Drew Tulchin shares his best tips and advice on how small and medium businesses can survive ‘this economic winter.’
Economic Development as a Pathway to Building a More Civil Society
Recently returned from Afghanistan, Drew Tulchin discusses economic development as a pathway to building a more civil society.

GAMES:
Test your microfinance knowledge with our Wheel of (Mis)Fortune Game!

Emerging Topics

Submissions are now being accepted for future Emerging Topics Papers. Check out our submission guide below.

25. Questa Economic Development Regional Report

Publication to move the Village of Questa in rural New Mexico into a sustainable, just local economy that works for everyone. With Petroglyphs on the Rio Grande for QEDF.

24. EcoDistricts

Part three of a series on green trends for sustainable living in affordable housing.

23. Microgrids

Part two of a series on green trends for sustainable living in affordable housing.

22. Biogas

Part one of a series on green trends for sustainable living in affordable housing.

21. Rebirth of Main Street

Case Study in Developing Innovative Communities

20. Power Your Mission

A Guide to Social Enterprise

19. Invest Local

Resources for the Journey to Local Investing in New Mexico- and Beyond!

18. Case Studies in Economic Development

Analysis of communities as they re-invent themselves in post-recession growth.

17. Private Philosophy: An overview on giving in the U.S. and worldwide

This white paper provides an overview on giving practices in the private sector.

16. Capital Sources for Social Enterprises

Entrepreneurs often do not play all of their cards when seeking funding. This paper will help you explore many of the options available.

15. Case Studies: Local Food & Sustainable Agriculture Initiatives in the United States

The working paper compiles best practices from four communities and six local initiatives, highlighting communities and organizations across the country that pursue innovative projects to increase sustainable and local agricultural economies.For the full report on Northern NM local food systems, visit REDI.

14. Alternative Capital For Credit Unions

This paper discusses Member paid-in capital, Non-member paid-in capital, and subordinated debt as options available to low-income credit unions for income.

13. Debt Investment as a Tool For Value Transfer in Biodiversity Conservation and Strategies

This paper proposes the development of a new approach to environmental conservation by rewarding local environmental land protection in poor communities through access to credit and affordable financial services.

12. Seeking to Serve Millions, Not Hundreds – Helping US Microfinance Institutions Go Beyond What They Know

This paper sheds light on the issue of under-banked and un-banked individuals within the United States and discusses the role of Micro Finance Institutions within the lending community.

11. Renewable Energy Potential in New Mexico Indian Case Study DRAFT

This draft discusses the need to diversify US energy sources through a collaborative effort between the US government, public and private sectors, and Native American Tribes.

10. Small Foundations: How to Invest in Microfinance (Paper) and Presentation

This analysis aims to assist small foundations in making decisions for sustainable microfinance investment.

9. Small Business Incubation and its Prospects In Indian Country

This paper examines the prospect of a small business incubation system being used in native lands in order to further small business growth and sustainability. Updated December, 2012.

8. Online Communications for Change Presentations and Discussion Notes

The preceding materials are from a presentation on the role online communications plays in transforming civil society and how groups can leverage technologies to maximize their impact. The author is Adam Rubel, Organizational Consultant,http://sitekreator.com/adamrubel/main_page.html.

7. Strategies for Managers Working within Founder’s Syndrome Organizations

This paper explores actions middle managers can take at social purpose organizations to address organizational challenges in founder-led organizations. Written by Jessica Shortall, Managing Director, Catalyst Strategy Advisors (www.catstrat.co.uk), former Skoll Scholar, Saïd Business School, Oxford, U.K.

6. Microfinance as a Tool for Sustainable Urban Poverty Alleviation

Working policy paper exploring measuring microfinance’s impact as a sustainable development tool for urban poverty alleviation and an action research presentation of how donors and other stakeholders can most effectively engage in this sector.

5. Positioning Microfinance Institutions for the Capital Markets

Orientation to private investment in microfinance and what is needed to make it more common. Includes highlights of private investment deals. For a presentation on the topic, click here.

4. Microfinance & Health

Working paper exploring the value and method to integrate these important development efforts. Submitted to BYU”s Center for Economic Self-Reliance 2004 Call for Papers. Written by Chandni Ohri, University of Washington Jackson School, and Program Officer, Grameen Foundation USA.

3. Currency Hedging for Microfinance

Working paper exploring methods to overcome a serious risk factor impeding investment in international development. Written by Romi Bhatia, Columbia University SIPA.

2. Remesas a América Latina: impact y oportunidades

(Remittances to Latin America: Impact and Opportunity) – Working paper in Spanish placing remittances in the development context and civil society. Written by Matias Bianchi, an Argentine scholar.

1. Microfinance & the Double Bottom Line

Additionally, the Paper exploring the link to and value of Social Return and the Double Bottom Line for Microfinance Institutions, including Double Bottom Line efforts in other industries. Original research was funded by the Ford Foundation for the MicroCapital Institute.

Emerging Topics Papers Series Submission Guidelines: UpSpring is seeking new Emerging Topics papers. Submissions should seek to reveal new understandings, challenge established concepts, and advance industry thinking. Finished papers will be less than 20 pages and understandable to a broad audience. To express interest, please send a short email (less than one page) detailing your social enterprise paper topic, why it is important, your bio, and the organizations mentioned, email info@upspringassociates.com. We welcome already written works seeking wider distribution, as well as new efforts. Marketing and promotion strategies are explored mutually on a case-by-case basis.