Our Mission
We ignite economic opportunity by empowering youth and small business owners to thrive. Starting a business in STEAM-related business or place-based business.
We help launch businesses, secure funding, and scale globally. From the first spark to long-term impact, we build pathways that drive inclusive and sustainable growth.
What is Connecting Dots Globally?
From Spark to Scale: Empowering Entrepreneurs, Elevating Communities
A nonprofit transforming lives and communities through entrepreneurship, global readiness, and opportunity.
Our Mission
We ignite inclusive economic opportunity by equipping youth, small business owners, and underserved communities to turn ideas into impact — and impact into lasting transformation.
We believe entrepreneurship is a pathway to dignity, resilience, and global possibility.
What We Do
We meet entrepreneurs where they are — and help them rise into who they can become.
Idea to Launch
We help dreamers become doers through hands-on business planning, customer discovery, branding, and financial foundations.
Growth & Development
We strengthen growing businesses with coaching, operational systems, leadership support, and strategies to scale.
Global Readiness
We prepare entrepreneurs to step onto the world stage, create cross-border relationships, and expand globally.
Capital Readiness & Funding Preparation
We help entrepreneurs understand funding, prepare investor-ready materials, and gain the confidence to secure capital.
Mindset & Mastermind Circles
Entrepreneurship requires more than strategy — it requires courage. We cultivate resilience, clarity, leadership, and community through guided mindset training and powerful mastermind groups.
Cohort and Individual Support
We offer both deep, personalized one-on-one coaching and transformational cohort learning experiences.
Who We Serve
We proudly support:
Youth and students discovering their leadership and creativity
Underserved and underrepresented communities
Aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs
Small business owners seeking stability, growth, and expansion
Global entrepreneurs ready to explore international opportunities
We meet every participant with dignity, empathy, and possibility.
Youth Global Trade Mission (GTM)
Our flagship youth experience changes lives.
GTM engages students in an immersive simulation of global business, entrepreneurship, and international trade.
Since launch, more than 5,000 youth have:
Built international business concepts
Gained leadership and global trade skills
Explored STEAM-driven entrepreneurship
Worked with local and global mentors
Solved real-world problems
Pitched solutions to panels of executives and educators
GTM is delivered in partnership with schools, universities, governments, and industry — a powerful model of community and opportunity.
How We Are Different
We don’t just support entrepreneurs —
we strengthen the ecosystems that surround them.
As a nonprofit, we partner with:
For-profit companies
Nonprofit organizations
Government agencies
Economic development leaders
Schools and universities
We equip organizations to meet entrepreneurs where they are, while giving founders the skills, mindset, and global tools to grow.
This dual approach creates long-lasting, inclusive, and sustainable economic impact.
Our Strategic Partner: ISM
International Strategic Management (ISM) is a global leader in entrepreneurship support, small business development, and ecosystem design.
With programs in more than 100 countries, ISM brings deep expertise in:
Program design
Funding readiness
Entrepreneurial training
Global trade and scalability
Organizational capacity building
Together, we create a powerful pathway from opportunity → growth → global success.
Make a donation.
We greatly appreciate any donations to help give Connecting Dots Globally opportunities! The three main kinds of donations we accept:
General programming (any amount)
Sponsor a participant starting level is $500 and average program for is $1500)
Sponsor a program (starting level is $50,000 and average program is $150,000)
Click the button below to choose what kind of donation you’d like to make. Any amount helps!
What People Are Saying
“The Global Trade Mission really helped shape my future. Before GTM, I had no interest in, or knowledge of foreign trade. Now, as a college student, I am majoring in International Relations.”
— Former GTM Student
“Global Trade Mission for high school students is an example of what learning and school should be. I attended as a business coach and evaluator, so I had the chance to see things at work over all three days. While it is a short period of time, it is clear that a lot of learning goes on and students were inspired to take new paths. I applaud you for the program’s success and hope you are able to touch many students in the future.”