Building Businesses and Communities: WilmU Partners With Launcher To Help Aspiring Entrepreneurs 

Most peoples’ paths in life don’t follow a straight line, and Jamie Shanklin-Spencer is no exception. Her journey took her from “owning a hair salon to being a farmer.” 

“I was diagnosed with two autoimmune disorders a few years ago, and since then I’ve changed my eating habits,” says Shanklin-Spencer, who started gardening, which led to farming and then opening a new business. 

Messiah’s Market Herbs & Horticulture in Wilmington, Delaware, is a “nonprofit agricultural education business,” she says. “We do our part to fight food insecurities through education and exposure.” 

Shanklin-Spencer credits the Launcher program, West End Neighborhood House’s entrepreneurial incubator. 

“It’s where you launch your vision, hence the name ‘Launcher,’” she says, describing the 14-week business training program. “It’s like a hub of benefits.” 

Launcher entrepreneurs have created almost 1,200 jobs and nearly 660 businesses, 94% of which are minority owned.  

“Launcher is more than just a business training program — we are a movement to build community wealth from the ground up,” says Emily Duran, Launcher program director. “We walk alongside entrepreneurs at every stage, offering not just knowledge but hands-on support, access to funding, connections to real estate and a trusted network of partners across the state. We believe in the people behind the ideas, and we are deeply invested in helping them build businesses that are not only sustainable but rooted in their communities.” 

Empowering Entrepreneurs Through Strategic Partnerships 

Wilmington University partners with Launcher to host the curriculum, providing mentorship, resources and three academic credits for completing the program. 

“When I saw the Launcher program leverages WilmU, that made it more exciting because I knew it was going to be a solid program,” says Heather Holding, a Wilmington University alum and chief risk officer at Best Egg, a loan agency in New Castle County, Delaware. “They really teach you all of the foundational things you need to be successful.” 

She and her husband have talked about opening a consulting company or laundromat. 

“I wanted to get the knowledge to even start on that path,” Holding says. “There was so much I learned in such a short period of time, and the network of people you have access to was just incredible. It continues to open doors for me.” 

Launcher charges $100 for the program, which so far has helped more than 1,200 entrepreneurs. 

“Many of our participants start with just an idea, and through our programs, they leave with a plan, a support system and the confidence to grow,” Duran says. “We want to be remembered as the place where people don’t just learn how to run a business — they learn that they belong in business.” 

Grateful for their Launcher experience, Holding and Shanklin-Spencer often refer others.  

“I think it’s a great program,” Holding says. “They’re really tailored to what you’re working on and what you’re trying to accomplish.”  

Shanklin-Spencer adds, “When you are resilient to things, there’s no limit to what you can achieve.”