Supplier Development

Capital One has a variety of programs designed to help businesses be successful. We take great pride in energizing these  development opportunities for businesses and helping them build capacity through these mentoring-based programs. Read below to learn about our Catapult, SAGE Advice, and Mentoring programs.

Catapult Brings Innovative Programming to Business Owners 

Sharing Capital One’s innovation and digital business expertise is at the heart of our award-winning Catapult program. Launched in March of 2017, Catapult is an intensive six-month program designed to help small and nontraditional businesses develop a solution to a critical business challenge or create a new product or service by leveraging the concepts and skills that they learn from the program. Catapult offers participants instructional courses, collaborative thinking workshops, access to one-on-one meetings with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), coaching and strategies on delivering effective pitches, and regular meetings with a dedicated Advisor. Business owners apply to participate in the program, which culminates in a pitch session where the participants present their learnings and proposed solutions to a panel of judges and receive invaluable feedback.

Core to the program’s success is how the program leverages the competitive strengths of Capital One - our innovation/technology focus, and experienced and talented associates. Capital One associates teach most of the program’s instructional courses, conduct SME sessions, and sit on the Advisory Board. Upon the completion of the program, participants will have received the knowledge and tools that they need to innovate and disrupt their business and, ultimately, their industry.

Just by participating in the program, all the businesses "win." They benefit from classes like Design Thinking, Strategic Measurement, and Product 101. In addition, all participants have access to one-on-one sessions with an Advisor and SMEs across a wide variety of business-related topics and disciplines. According to Unoma Okorafor, a past participant, "The learning, the community, the environment...it's been just an amazing experience."

Please email Catapult@capitalone.com for more information.

SAGE Advice Provides a Network of Support and Learning 

The Strategies to Advance and Grow Enterprise (SAGE) Advice program is another way that Capital One’s Supplier Development and Opportunity team demonstrates its commitment to implementing innovative ways to develop and bring opportunities to certified women-owned businesses (WBEs). Launched in 2016, in partnership with the WBEC Metro NY and Greater DMV out of our New York, NY and McLean, VA offices, SAGE Advice leverages the power of networking and mentorship to develop women business owners and enable them to grow their revenue.

A cornerstone of the program is the support system established for each participant. That system includes a successful business leader and a Capital One Business Resource Partner (BRP) who assist business owners in applying the concepts they learn from the program to develop a solid business plan.

Over the course of the six-month program, participants receive active support during monthly classroom sessions, and they engage in monthly check-ins with their BRP. At the end of the program, the WBEs walk away with a one-page business plan, a completed budget, and an engaging business presentation. 

An intangible result of the SAGE program is the long-lasting relationships created among the participants; the intention is for this business network to support their success and the success of their business. Seeing how other women run their businesses provides valuable insights and reassures participants that they are not alone in the challenges they are facing. As one of our participants noted, this combination of basic business education and support over time facilitates real, measurable growth.

Other participants have affirmed the value of the program, saying, “I got catapulted so many light years ahead to a place I couldn’t imagine, and I did it all with my BRP at my side. One of the most important things I took away from SAGE is that I don’t have to be alone. I can surround myself with smart people and we can all help each other. My business is forever changed, and so am I.”

Supplier Mentoring Program Creates Lasting Relationships

Capital One's Supplier Mentoring program builds on our Supplier Development and Opportunity program by providing mentorship in marketing, cash flow, AI, finance, and more to create lasting relationships with local businesses.

Through our Mentoring Program, we provide small and nontraditional business owners with the tools, resources, and counsel needed to succeed in today’s marketplace. The program pairs local entrepreneurs with Capital One associates to develop sustainable models that accelerate year-over-year growth, profitability, and key operating metrics. 

The Mentoring program began in Richmond, VA with 10 businesses, including experts in event production, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, and interior design. At the onset of the program, Capital One instructors teach courses on marketing and social media, design-thinking, legal, finance, and change management. Then, businesses are matched with mentors from across Capital One. 

Through the program, mentors and mentees work together to focus on a clear vision and specific goals. Those goals help to guide mentorship discussions as the teams determine how to achieve those goals and overcome potential obstacles. 

The program has also served communities in Texas and the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region.