New Workday Foundation Initiative Provides Aspiring Small Business Owners with $150,000 in Seed Funding, AI Skills Training, and Free Claude AI Credit Access
Pilot Program Will Use the Power of AI to Unlock Economic Opportunity for New Solopreneurs in the U.S.
PLEASANTON, Calif., May 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Workday, Inc. (NASDAQ: WDAY), the enterprise AI platform for managing people, money, and agents, today announced the launch of the Workday Foundation Solopreneurship Accelerator Program, a new AI-focused initiative designed to support the next generation of small businesses. Delivered in partnership with Anthropic and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), the Accelerator will combine philanthropy with the power of AI to support solo entrepreneurs across select communities in the United States.
The Accelerator will serve an initial cohort of 15 aspiring solopreneurs focused on building and scaling small businesses, providing each with a $10,000 grant from the Workday Foundation to cover business expenses. In addition to funding, participants will have access to a limited number of Anthropic's Claude AI credits free of charge, an AI skills entrepreneurship curriculum designed and delivered by LISC, and coaching through LISC's network of Business Development Organizations (BDOs).
The pilot program's curriculum will build AI fluency with a specific focus on business operations, teaching participants to leverage generative AI for strategy, marketing, fulfillment, CRM, and financial management. The launch of the Accelerator comes at a time where small businesses are increasingly leaning on AI-powered tools to generate a new wave of economic prosperity across the U.S. Recent survey results indicate that over three-quarters of small businesses are currently using AI, and 93% of them say it has made a positive impact on them. This points to the importance of equipping solopreneurs with the AI skills required to succeed.
"Small businesses are the lifeblood of our communities, and AI holds incredible potential to open the doors of opportunity," said Carrie Varoquiers, Chief Impact Officer at Workday. "We are proud to partner with Anthropic and LISC to support community members who are starting and scaling small businesses."
The proliferation of AI tools has significantly lowered the barriers to starting a business. This initiative is unique in its deep integration of artificial intelligence to empower those who traditionally lack access to opportunity and economic mobility.
"Solo founders are some of the country's most determined builders and often the most resource-constrained," said Elizabeth Kelly, Head of Beneficial Deployments at Anthropic. "With LISC and the Workday Foundation, we're putting Claude in the hands of solopreneurs so that they can reach more customers and serve more of the community counting on them."
"In the race to adapt and understand how to harness the power of AI technologies, it is crucial for the health of our communities that small businesses are equipped and ready to utilize this technology to help grow and sustain their livelihoods," said Michael Pugh, president and CEO of LISC. "To help ensure programmatic success, LISC is tapping our national network of business development organization partners to help us identify key solopreneurs from their communities who would be in the best position to capitalize on the tools we're offering to help nurture the growth of their businesses."
The initial cohort will begin in July 2026. To help empower more entrepreneurs and the philanthropic funders and organizations that serve small businesses, the curriculum, program design, and future learnings will all be shared broadly in the coming months. To be notified of future updates, please visit LISC's website.
Learn more about the Workday Foundation here.
About Workday
Workday is the enterprise AI platform for managing people, money, and agents. Workday unifies HR and Finance on one intelligent platform with AI at the core to empower people at every level with the clarity, confidence, and insights they need to adapt quickly, make better decisions, and deliver outcomes that matter. Workday is used by more than 11,500 organizations around the world and across industries – from medium-sized businesses to more than 65% of the Fortune 500. For more information about Workday, visit workday.com.
© 2026 Workday, Inc. All rights reserved. Workday and the Workday logo are trademarks of Workday, Inc. All other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
About Anthropic
Anthropic is an AI research and development company that creates reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems. Anthropic's flagship product is Claude, a large language model trusted by millions of users worldwide. Learn more about Anthropic and Claude at anthropic.com.
About LISC
LISC is one of the country's largest community development organizations, helping forge vibrant, resilient communities across America. LISC works with residents and partners to close gaps in health, wealth, and opportunity so that people and places can thrive. Since its founding in 1979, LISC has invested $38 billion to create more than 552,000 affordable homes and apartments, develop 88 million square feet of retail, community, and educational space, and help tens of thousands of people find employment and improve their finances. For more, visit www.lisc.org.
Forward Looking Statement
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SOURCE Workday Inc.
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