ELEVATE Helps Skilled Trades Founders Scale
While strengthening the broader infrastructure workforce.
ELEVATE is Vision Infrastructure Solutions’ social impact program designed to support and accelerate high-potential founders in critical infrastructure trades. Through strategic guidance, mentoring, and access to professional resources, ELEVATE helps skilled trades business owners build leadership capacity, expand into adjacent service lines, and diversify their client base.
ELEVATE reflects our commitment to strengthening the skills trades ecosystem and is grounded in four guiding principles:
Expand founder access to strategic resources.
Invest in entrepreneurs strengthening critical infrastructure services.
Mobilize the industry leaders to close the skilled trades gap.
Build together to accelerate sustainable growth.
As a founder-led company, the Vision team understands that thousands of skill-trades businesses are led by founders who built their companies through expertise, determination, and sheer grit. Yet many founders reach a point where scaling their business requires investing new systems, growing leadership capabilities, and accessing trusted strategic support.
ELEVATE exists to bridge that gap.
Each year, we will select up to four founders to participate in a structured partnership focused on developing operational strength, leadership capacity, and long-term growth.
This is not a consulting engagement.
This is a partnership to ELEVATE founders.
Our select group of skilled trades founders, known as ELEVATE Partners, will gain access to high value resources to enhance their business growth including:
Executive Mentoring
ELEVATE Partners will have direct access to Vision’s leadership team, which includes seasoned leaders of:
Executive leadership
Operations
Business development
Strategic communications
Professional Services Support
Vision offers its ELEVATE Partners access to trusted colleagues in:
Legal and corporate structuring
Accounting and financial guidance
Public relations and media outreach
Branding and website strategy
Peer roundtables and industry exposure
Strategic Business Guidance
ELEVATE Partners will identify where key areas of guidance are needed and will receive robust support in areas such as:
Operational improvements
Long-term scaling priorities
New service line opportunities
Acquisition readiness
Diversification of client base
Organizational development
Financial Support
Based upon the ELEVATE Partner’s key growth areas, financial support may include:
Marketing and brand development resources
Travel to Vision headquarters for leadership meetings
Access to industry conferences or professional training
Targeted grant funding to support key growth initiatives
As a partnership between founders, ELEVATE Partners commit to actively engaging in the program and contributing to its shared success. Participation includes engaging in scheduled advisory sessions, openly sharing operational insights with fellow partners, implementing agreed-upon strategic initiatives within their businesses, and supporting the broader mission of strengthening the skilled trades ecosystem.
“We launched ELEVATE because we know the pain points that founders encounter when they build a business from the ground up. We believe that founders shouldn’t have to build alone. We are committed to elevating skilled trades founders because when we do, the entire industry benefits.”
— Joseph Scaretta, Vision Co-Founder
Program Structure
ELEVATE Partners participate in a nine-month engagement that includes:
Quarterly strategy sessions with Vision leadership
Bi-monthly advisory meetings aligned to the partner’s key growth priorities
Peer founder roundtables with other ELEVATE Partners
Access to subject matter experts based on strategic needs
Optional industry exposure through conferences or speaking opportunities
Upon completion of the program, founders may be working toward:
Employee growth and revenue growth
Margin improvement
New service lines
Leadership development
Strategic planning capability
Organizational maturity
Apprenticeships added
Certification achieved
Additionally, upon completion, ELEVATE Partners become part of the ELEVATE Alumni Network, providing opportunities to continue peer collaboration, mentor future ELEVATE Partners, participate in industry roundtables, and contribute to strengthening the skilled trades ecosystem
Program Timeline 2026
Applications open: March 24th
Promotion through: May 31st
Finalists selected: June 30th
Founder presentations: July
ELEVATE Partners Announced: August
ELEVATE Partnership Engagement Begins: September 1st
Who Should Apply?
ELEVATE is designed for founder-led skilled trades business owners that are ready for the next stage of growth.
Eligible applicants must:
Be a founder within one of the following industries:
– Fire suppression/fire protection
– Material handling
– Elevator or escalatorBe a founder operating for at least three years
Generate at least one million in annual revenue
Employ at least three full-time employees
Be licensed within trade discipline
Be headquartered in the United States
Vision will partner with founders who are committed to a growth mindset and motivated to create opportunity for their teams.
What We Look For
Selection of ELEVATE Partners is based on a combination of business readiness and leadership potential, including:
Growth trajectory and market opportunity
Leadership mindset
Operational discipline and professionalism
Industry impact potential
Demonstration of company culture and values
Financial readiness
Safety record
Commitment to elevating the industry
ELEVATE Advisors
Joe Scaretta
Co-Founder
Moses Carrasco
Co-Founder
Desiree Russo
Co-Founder
Rob Baird
Co-Founder
Jen Clough
Vice President of Strategic Growth
Jennifer Bernheim
Director of Communications