How Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses Program Helped Fuel GenTent’s Growth

When Mark Carpenter, CEO and Inventor of GenTent, was invited back to speak to a new cohort of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program (10KSB), it marked a full-circle moment. Once a participant himself, Mark had graduated with lessons that reshaped his leadership and reenergized his entrepreneurial vision. Now, standing before peers and program leaders, he shared an update on how those teachings had transformed him as a business owner, as a leader, and as a person — and how they had fueled GenTent’s growth and impact. 

The Goldman Sachs 10KSB program is a nationwide initiative designed to partner small business owner’s expertise with external tools to accelerate growth, such as education, support services, and access to capital. Participants take part in a hands-on curriculum along with practical training. The program connects entrepreneurs with business experts and a strong peer network. Since its start, it has supported thousands of small businesses like ours in expanding, hiring, and contributing to stronger local economies.  

Before founding GenTent, Mark spent decades in executive leadership roles across the tech industry. After decades of this experience, he founded GenTent with the goal of solving a seemingly simple but dangerous problem: how to safely run portable generators outdoors during wet weather or storms. Mark’s journey from corporate executive to entrepreneur reflects not only personal ambition, but also a deep commitment to people, innovation, and community. As CEO and Inventor of GenTent, Mark has transformed a simple idea into a new internationally recognized product category that keeps families safe during power outages: generator tents. Over the last few years, the lessons learned from the 10KSB program have helped in shaping Mark’s leadership approach and fueling GenTent’s continued growth. 

A Program that Changed Perspective 

Seeking perspective and leadership growth, Mark enrolled in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program. “I had three simple questions,” he explained. “Am I on an island as a CEO? Can I find a business coach? Do I still have the passion for this business?” 

Almost immediately, through the twelve-week course, and through the continued relationships, the answers to Mark’s questions consistently revealed themselves. “I’m not on an island. There are thousands of other…small businesses who have dealt with similar issues and so I'm not alone,” he reflected. More importantly, he connected with a business coach who continues to guide him weekly. “He’s given me structure and tools, and I can be vulnerable. And you need to be vulnerable.” 

The program also renewed Mark’s sense of intent and passion. “Each day is filled with specific leadership intents,” he says about managing GenTent’s trajectory and business roadmap. “We have new products on the horizon, new partnerships underway, and a ton of passion for the adventure.” 

Goldman Sachs reports that 85% of 10KSB alumni do business with one another, and 67% increase revenues within six months of graduating. For Mark, the education and mentorship are helpful, but the program’s greatest value is the peer-to-peer network. Mark is excited to grow that network, passing on his own lessons and learnings as an entrepreneur to other local small business owners in this program. 

Paying It Forward 

Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses states that their initiative helps U.S. small business owners “advocate for policy changes that will help their businesses, their employees, and their communities,” and Mark carries these principles as part of GenTent’s daily mission.  

GenTent passionately advocates for portable generator safety every day, working with national organizations like the Portable Generator Manufacturers’ Association, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Association, and National Association of State Fire Marshals on standardizing generator safety language and consumer education. In recent years, Mark and the GenTent team took on the effort of developing a UL Standard to make all generator tents and running covers safer, including competitive products. “They're in my market category, and it's my job to defend that category. If you're going to compete with me, then you're going to compete with a product that makes generators safer, not more dangerous,” Mark emphasizes.  

Extending to community initiatives, GenTent supports nonprofits such as the Red Cross, the Northeast CO Alliance, Adult & Teen Challenge, and the National Association of Carbon Monoxide Awareness. GenTent helps locally by assisting homeowners in replacing unsafe generator setups and hosting generator giveaways to prepare families for storm season with reliable, protected backup power. Most of all, Mark sees employing and developing his team at GenTent as a direct contribution to his community. 

In addition to using his small business to drive intentional national change while providing practical, affordable solutions for consumers, Mark also continues to use his experience at GenTent to mentor other local entrepreneurs through his continued relationship with Goldman Sachs 10KSB. He’s presented to cohorts, joined alumni panels, and shared his own financial and business strategies with other program participants. Mark’s message to the groups focuses on values as much as financials: “Success certainly has an element of financial gain, but for me, it’s great products, great relationships, and the choice my employees take to allow me to lead them.” 

For business owners considering the program, his advice is simple: “Take it seriously and be open and vulnerable. It’s the only way you’re going to learn.” 

Mark also emphasizes leadership or management through action, with three guiding principles to be successful as a small business owner:   

1. An idea is an invitation to action. Every single time that something has moved forward for you, it was because you had an idea, and you took that invitation, and turned it into some kind of action.  
2. An exchange of money is a sign of trust. My company's intent is to be trustworthy. That means great products, great quality, great care in purpose in delivering. So, we intend to be trustworthy.   
3. Always initiate relationships with respect, because we're all human beings, and in that we are equal.  

Being invited back to speak to new cohorts underscores both the impact of the program and the trust placed in its graduates to inspire others. With gratitude for the lessons learned and the continued relationship, Mark and GenTent remain committed to leading with purpose by advancing innovation, building trust, and maintaining respect. We are grateful and excited for the partnership between Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program and GenTent.