Field NotesStatewide Conference
The mentorship behind every Berks County storefront
Inside the one-on-one consulting relationships quietly turning business plans into open doors on Main Streets from Reading to Kutztown.
Grow Berks · Powered by Kutztown University SBDC
Helping Berks Countystart businesses, find funding, win customers, build brands, grow revenue, create jobs, adopt AI, and grow.
Grow your ideas. Grow your business. Grow your community.
Grow Berks is the community's front door to business support across Berks County — free, sustained, place-based consulting for every stage, powered by 45 years of Kutztown University SBDC expertise.
Free · Every stage · In your community · Walk-ins welcome
01 / The Front Door
Your Entry Point to the Ecosystem
Anyone building something in Berks County belongs here. We connect you to the right partners across the region — lenders, chambers, municipalities, universities.
02 / Place-Based Presence
In Your Community, In Your Language
Physically present across Berks County and accessible in multiple languages by design. Walk in, call, or meet us where you already work.
03 / Your Anchor
Sustained, Relationship-Based Consulting
Longer engagements. A consistent consultant. Your pace. We stay in the relationship as your business grows through every stage.
What stage are you?
Take the 5-min assessment →Find Your Community
Look for your town.
See who's in your corner.
From Reading to Kutztown, Boyertown to Hamburg — Grow Berks has a partner in your neighborhood. Search your town, borough, or township below to see the SBDC team already working in your community.
10+ communities served · Berks County · Kutztown University SBDC
Communities we serve
Click a community or county to see who serves it
Who serves your area
Berks
County seat · Reading
Communities in this county
ReadingKutztownWyomissingWest ReadingFleetwoodBoyertownHamburgSinking SpringShillingtonBirdsboro
Your local partner
Kutztown University SBDC
Free, confidential business consulting for entrepreneurs and small businesses across Berks County — walk-ins welcome at outreach locations, virtual meetings available anywhere.
Don't see your town? The network still serves you — reach out and we'll connect you to the closest advisor.
10+
Communities
1
Counties
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County
Meet the Directors
Four leaders.
One Berks County mission.
The Grow Berks network is powered by the Kutztown University Small Business Development Center — experienced directors working directly with entrepreneurs across Berks County.
Center DirectorBrett SmithKutztown University SBDC
Center DirectorDorothy LaneKutztown University SBDC
Center DirectorLisa Hall ZielinskiKutztown University SBDC
Center DirectorJacqueline EscobarKutztown University SBDC
Free
Always, for every client
Every Stage
Idea to expansion
Berks County
Reading · Kutztown · Wyomissing · Boyertown · Hamburg
45 Years
Kutztown University SBDC expertise
Regional Dispatches
View Archive
WorkshopSummer Series
What's changing for founders this year
From shifting AI search to new funding programs — the working sessions where regional operators meet the consultants who know the playbook.
Let's grow, together.
Whether you're testing an idea, opening the doors, or planning what's next — a consultant is ready to sit down with you. Free, in your community, at your pace.
Free · Every stage · In your community · Walk-ins welcome