Creating Opportunities in the Creative Economy
The Center for Creative Economy provides programs for inception and early-stage business training to expand the capacity of creatives and artists to emerge as viable entrepreneurs. Our inclusive, customized education and mentorship programs fulfill our mission to Launch, Accelerate, and Grow, a diverse range of creative entrepreneurs and business owners.
Velocity Applications are Now Open!
Apply now to be a part of the 2025 Velocity cohort. Visit the Velocity page to learn more.
Application Deadline: June 10, 2025
Fuel the Future of the Creative Economy
Support Entrepreneurs with a Gift to CCE Today
Where Creativity Meets Business
Launch, Accelerate and Grow
The Center for Creative Economy provides programs for inception and early-stage business training to expand the capacity of creatives and artists to emerge as viable entrepreneurs. Our inclusive, customized education and mentorship programs fulfill our mission to Launch, Accelerate, and Grow, a diverse range of creative entrepreneurs and business owners.
Our Cohort Success
We Help Build The Creative Economy
The Center for Creative Economy provides programming designed to have a meaningful impact on creative businesses and entrepreneurs.
1430
Companies Launched
300
MRevenue Earned
440
MIn Investments
Strengthening The Creative Economy
We Aim to be Inclusive
CCE provides inception-stage business training to help creatives and artists develop viable businesses. Our customized education and mentorship programs fulfill our mission to launch, accelerate, and grow creative businesses.
Our Programs For Creatives
How We Accelerate Growth
Unlock your creative potential with our programs designed for artists, entrepreneurs, and makers. Whether you’re looking to validate your idea, launch your startup, or scale your business, our accelerator programs – Velocity, Kinetic, and Pathways – provide the support, guidance, and resources you need to reach your goals. Join our community of passionate and driven creatives today!
6-week mindset training to spark your passion for entrepreneurship
6-week bootcamp to designed to discover your customer and ignite your idea
10-week business accelerator where creatives find direction with speed
Community Events
Coming Up Next at CCE
The Center for Creative Economy hosts a variety of events throughout the year. Events are designed to connect creatives with the resources, support and networking opportunities they need to grow their business.
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Get To Know
More About CCE
Our Vision
To be known as a premier economic development organization that is building the creative economy and creative community in Winston-Salem, the Triad, North Carolina, and in the Southeast region.
Since 2011, we have helped launch, grow, and accelerate creative entrepreneurs and businesses. Our vision requires a focus and collaboration for success. We cannot accomplish it on our own.
What We Do
The CCE provides programming designed to have a meaningful impact on creative businesses and entrepreneurs in Winston-Salem, the Triad, North Carolina, and in the Southeast region. Programming includes various boot camps, accelerators programs, and Ice House Entrepreneurial Mindset training.
Who We Help
The Center for Creative Economy provides inception-stage business training to help creatives and artists develop viable businesses. Our customized education and mentorship programs fulfill our mission to launch, grow, and accelerate creative businesses.
Economic Development
The work of the Center for Creative Economy is transforming the region’s creative cluster
by focusing on programming designed for creatives to engage, connect, and spur innovation.
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, CCE strives to strengthen the creative economy and the creative community in Winston-Salem, NC and beyond. Since 2016 CCE has helped launch 57 creative startups in its accelerator, 61% of which were founded by women and 32% by minorities. Today, 80% of those companies are still thriving, and 289 jobs have been created.
Community Love
A Few Words From Our [Community]
"CCE was a great resource. We were able to book a top-notch keynote speaker, secure a group tour of the Innovation Quarter, and find inspirational meeting sites that we never knew existed!"
"CCE is an important part of the entrepreneurial growth of Winston-Salem. The creative jobs they nurture and launch are perfectly aligned with our city’s transition and growth."
"The collaboration and experience of the Center for Creative Economy mentors' combine has really helped give a roadmap of what to do in managing and owning a creative business"
"I found meetups to be quite informative, and everyone here has been quite welcoming and friendly and they’re wanting to talk to you about what you are doing."
“Creativity and innovation flourish most when surrounded by a network that drives success. CCE provides programs, curriculum, and committed mentors who understand creative business
“CCE is like an ecosystem of people who are just as driven and passionate as I am. And being beside those people really motivates me to push myself to a level I’ve never been to.”
“The Center for Creative Economy draws people in from all across the world who want to come here, participate and learn the process of how to have a successful creative startup."
“The most useful thing about this creative accelerator has been really forcing myself to dig into aspects of my business: Planning, forecasting, and even dreaming, that I would have put off for later.”
“The Center for Creative Economy is a center of gravity in the Piedmont Region, where creatives can now go and have a place to explore the economic potential of their creative process and products.”
Community Love
A Few Words From Our [Community]
"CCE has been pivotal to my business development. I started Velocity with little more than a concept, and the program gave me the tools (and confidence) to test, learn and evolve.”
"CCE is an important part of the entrepreneurial growth of Winston-Salem. The creative jobs they nurture and launch are perfectly aligned with our city’s transition and growth."
"Velocity has completely transformed my business. They helped me find my business model and provided great ideas for customer discovery. It put us on a better path for scaling our business in the state."
"I found Velocity and it stood out because it was one of the few accelerators that was trying to build a community of entrepreneurs. Whatever you learn you can start applying."
“During my time in Kinetic, I was able to take ideas that I had in the past on the way my business started and where I thought it should end. But now that we’ve honed in, I have a place to start.”
"I've always wanted to be an entrepreneur my whole life and have started and failed, because I didn't know what the building blocks were. The accelerator laid a foundation under my work."
"CCE empowers creative entrepreneurs by giving us a chance, and I appreciate CCE for allowing me to have a chance [to succeed]."
“The Center For Creative Economy draws people from across the world that want to come here, participate and learn the process of how to have a successful creative startup.”
“The Center for Creative Economy is a center of gravity in the Piedmont Region, where creatives can now go and have a place to explore the economic potential of their creative process and products.”
Economic Impact Report
Want to know more about the impact CCE is having on our Economy? Download our latest Economic Impact Report.
We help build the creative economy
The Center provides programming designed to have a meaningful impact on creative businesses and entrepreneurs.
CCE provides inception-stage business training to help creatives and artists develop viable businesses. Our customized education and mentorship programs fulfill our mission to launch, grow, and accelerate creative businesses.
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A nonprofit organization, CCE strives to strengthen the creative economy and the creative community in Winston-Salem, NC and beyond.
570
+companies launched
1
1410
mrevenue earned
210
mraised in investment
Want to know more about CCE’s impact? Read the Impact Report.
