Bamboo Club: Peer Support for the Whole Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurship can be a lonely journey. It inherently involves breaking away from the norm and doing things differently, often without partners or colleagues. Bamboo Club, a peer network led by graduates of Business Launch Boot Camp and part of RMMFI’s Whole Entrepreneur model, offers a remedy to the loneliness and isolation. Through round tables, workshops, online groups, and social events, the goal is to create a space for entrepreneurs to support one another through the struggles and successes of launching and growing a business.

Anthony De La Rosa, owner of Abbozzo Studios, is a current member of the Bamboo Club Leadership Team. Abbozzo Studios is a digital creative agency specializing in small business brand strategy and design. They are focused on creatively supporting mission-driven brands and small businesses like those in the RMMFI community.

Having successfully launched his own business, Anthony has volunteered as a boot camp mentor several times, and he joined the Bamboo Club Leadership Team in 2020. Mutual support is a key part of Bamboo Club, and Anthony has both given and received that support in many ways. He enjoys the opportunity to stay in touch with old friends while making new ones in the RMMFI community, and networking with like-minded individuals helps him keep his entrepreneurial juices flowing and maintain perspective.

At the round tables and workshops, Anthony and the other Bamboo Club members get the opportunity to learn from each other, gaining knowledge and opinions from their fellow small business owners. “Especially during the peak of COVID, brainstorming with each other and figuring out new ways to reach our customers and meet their new needs was key.”

When Anthony started his business in 2015, he was driven by a desire to be in control of his career and responsible for his own success. As he pays it forward through both his business and his leadership role in Bamboo Club, Anthony is now helping other entrepreneurs gain and keep their own autonomy through business ownership.