Creative Startups

Albuquerque-based Creative Startups won a $190,000 grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to help expand the business accelerator nationally and internationally. “The grant will help us evaluate what we do well, how we can improve, and what we can offer in terms of resources and support to new sites that want to do Creative Startup accelerators,” said Creative Startups co-founder Alice Loy.

Unlike Albuquerque’s five other accelerators, Creative Startups focuses specifically on the creative industries. That includes everything from design, games, film, music, visual arts, and more. Creative Startups is now working to expand its program to North Carolina, the Washington, D.C. area, Los Angeles, Portugal and Spain.

The Center for Creative Economy in North Carolina is working with Creative Startups to launch an accelerator in Winston-Salem. The center’s executive director, Margaret H. Collins, said the Kauffman assistance will boost those efforts while building the Creative Startups program into a “gold standard.”

“The new resources will help Creative Startups maintain and grow the program at the highest level,” Collins said.

Read the full article here!

A new scheme has been launched to boost Britain’s creative industries which, according to Prime Minister David Cameron, have become a driving force of the UK economy.

 

 

 

There is a new website in Britain, aimed at helping creative startups. This tool will give advice on writing business plans, raising money, information on key organizations and networks, and much more. It will be a way to help creatives get their business off the ground.

Britain’s creative economy has been growing three times faster than any other sector and now generates £80 billion a year. “Britain has a huge creative clout around the world. I want to build on that!” – Prime Minister, David Cameron

For more details, check out the full article in Relocate Global!

Swerve, the new hub for creative industries launches its 2016 schedule for Triad creative enterprises.  The next Swerve Meetup will take place on January 21^st at Flywheel, 525 Vine St., in Winston-Salem.  Speakers, Diane Reinhold & David Horth, of the Center for Creative Leadership, will present “Crafting Your Pitch.”  Presenting your fertile and even earth shattering ideas, in a manner that will grab other people’s attention, is an art that will make all the difference for innovation and success.   Lunch is included, and the program features interactive time to learn how to apply the principles, and network with colleagues.

The Swerve website is now live and contains a Directory of creative companies in the Triad, a job platform for creative industries, and a blog tailored to ideas worth spreading in the creative and business community.  For more information on Swerve and its monthly meetups, and also to register for the Jan 21 event, visit SwerveTriad.com.

Swerve meets monthly on the third Thursday from 11:30am-1:00pm, and lunch is included. The event is free to members, and a nominal fee is charged to the public.  Future topics geared for creative industries include: “Getting Investor Ready,”  “Sharing Your Pitch,” Mentorship for Success”, and “Protecting Your Work”.   The focus is on cultivating and expanding your business and meeting new people.  For a complete listing, go to www.centerforcreativeeconomy.com/swerve-events

Swerve is the new hub for creative enterprises in North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad, hosted by the Center for Creative Economy. It brings creative professionals together at lively, informative monthly meetups, and through a growing online community.   Swerve participants tap into a local network of collaborators, mentors, and new business contacts.  The project seeks to invest in retaining, attracting and growing our creative businesses and impacting the local economy.

The Center for Creative Economy is a non-profit organization that serves as a catalyst for innovation and an advocate for creative industries and entrepreneurs, promoting connectivity and job growth. The center brings people, ideas, and resources together to benefit a burgeoning creative sector that includes design, architecture, software, publishing, advertising, art, crafts, fashion, film, performing arts, TV, radio, interactive digital media, gaming, and technology, among others. Other programs include Triad Design Leadershop, a series focused on design based innovation. For more information, visit www.Centerforcreativeeconomy.com

UpStart Live! Feb. 5th – 7th, 2016

UpStart Live is an event like no other. It is collaborative approach to taking a startup through conception to market in just 48 hours. This event will focus on a creative industry, The Olio, Winston-Salem’s own glassblowing studio, and will create a sustainable revenue model for a new product line.

As a community project, there are opportunities for the community to participate! There will be a panel of area experts in lean startups, finance, marketing, business development and design. Registration is now open for teams for audience participation, either as an observer ready to learn or as a seasoned entrepreneur ready to contribute. Join the fun of launching a new product for a local creative company!

Click Here for more details and to register!

CCE’s colleague in the National Creative Economy Coalition, Christine Harris, will offer a unique online class in the Creative Economy through the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. It will be available for credit and non-credit. 

Creative Economy is one of UMass Art Extension Service’s most unique arts management courses. AES recently spoke with instructor Christine Harris on the critical importance of understanding the Creative Economy to arts management professionals. Christine is a key national figure in creative economy work, with over 30 years of experience working with creative enterprises and community development. Click here to check out the interview!

Information has been provided on the UMassAmherst website to help with the registration process.

 

Center for Creative Economy wrapped up its three-event launch of SWERVE, the new hub for creative individuals and businesses in the Triad. The room was alive and inspired after hearing Kyle Webster, internationally-award winning illustrator, talk about his journey to success.
Kyle began the presentation advising how to position your brand on the web and with social media. For many creative businesses today networking and building a large social media following is an important key to success. Promoting your brand and demonstrating your uniqueness is very important. Kyle also shared that providing value and showing gratitude makes all the difference. Your customers need to know they are valued for the relationship and synergy they bring, not just for the income to your business. Stay in touch with your customers and ask how you can be helpful to them.
The Dec 3 final launch event was a great success, concluding with a line of attendees waiting to sign-up and become Swerve Members. Triad Creatives are realizing the value Swerve brings in helping develop their businesses. Kyle inspired the attendees and the vibe was electric with creative individuals excitedly sharing their passions and ideas for business.
So what are YOU waiting for?! Visit SwerveTriad.com to get more information on the program and learn how you can become a member. Don’t miss out on the Special Swerve Promotion: Become a Swerve Member by January 15th and receive a personal coaching session with a business development / marketing strategist through our partnership with Flywheel. Also, receive a free lunch at Jan. 21st event, and much more!
The next meetup will be January 21st with the topic, “Crafting Your Pitch.” Guest speakers will be Diane Reinhold and David Horth, from the Center for Creative Leadership.

Register Now!

The Importance and Impact of Creative Enterprises in Forsyth County

 Margaret Collins presented at the recent Tech Council Briefing hosted by the Winston-Salem Chamber on December 2nd. Collins provided an overview of the Creative Economy in NC and the Triad, sharing definitions, numbers and statistics. She sited Fast Company magazine’s June 2015 story, U.S. Creative Jobs are Driving Economies. “It’s the designers, actors, and artists that make cities interesting. The rest of us just take advantage, ” and noted that “cities actively recruiting creative industries include Austin, Portland, Philadelphia, Nashville, New York, & Santa Fe.” Collins encouraged the Winston-Salem community to step up and get engaged with the full spectrum of creative industries to help stimulate our local economy.

Margaret also moderated a distinguished panel, which included Chad Cheek from Elephant In The Room, Corey Madden of the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts, and Peter Marsh from Workplace Strategies and Flywheel. Together, they shared what creative industries need to thrive, the challenges they face, and how our creative economy compares to other cities. Encouraging the community to support these industries was an important thread throughout the conversation.

Madden from the Kenan Institute explained that the UNC School of the Arts is very interested in connecting with the creative industries in the Triad. Chancellor Lindsey Bierman is focused on how the performing arts fit into the larger arts and entertainment industries, and is realistic about where creatives are now working. Pixar was created by individuals who came from the American theater and helped developed the process, story, and teams, for animation. Museums work with visual and experience design. The performing arts are experiencing disruption and UNCSA is educating students for the new careers developing in creative industries.

How can Winston-Salem support our creative industries? Peter Marsh shared that the community needs to develop an entrepreneurial mindset that supports risk taking and failure. Our leaders need to take a chance on startups, projects coming out of universities, and talented local resources. We can no longer depend on legacy wealth but must develop new resources and talent.

Chad Cheek discussed how he attracts national talent to Winston-Salem. He looks for creatives that can “design for looking great in the world, not just in Winston Salem.” The global marketplace forces a client’s projects to exist in the world, not just locally. So the firm’s design talent must stand up to that scrutiny. They have risen to this challenge, with great results for the business. In addition several live downtown, and enjoy an urban lifestyle in the heart of Winston-Salem.

All panelists commented on the importance of establishing Winston Salem as a creativity hub. It’s more affordable than Portland, NY, or Austin. It is gritty, and not a complete canvas. Creatives can make an impact here.

An essential step for growing creative industries in Winston is for all businesses to work with the local creative talent. Both Workplace Strategies, and Elephant In The Room have developed projects for local businesses, which grew nationally with their clients when the services were needed elsewhere. Their work increased exponentially as the local client’s business grew. This is a great model, which has proven successful. The panelists encouraged all businesses to hire local creatives for projects and opportunities. There is enormous talent available in our community.

In fact, the 2014 national Print Regional Design Awards ranks Winston-Salem creative firms #1 in the southeast region for the sheer number of awards they receive! Winston leads Atlanta, Charleston, and Raleigh.

Winston-Salem’ creative industries are talented and growing. Hire the local team. They will accelerate your business!

Have YOU hired a local business lately? Please share your experiences!

CCE was recently featured in the Winston-Salem Journal, as well as the Triad Business Journal! Both articles go into detail about Swerve, a new hub for creative businesses in the Triad.

“Creative entrepreneurs live locally, hire locally and jobs their businesses create are not easily shipped overseas,” said Margaret Collins, executive director of the Center for the Creative Economy. “Swerve is here to support the success of the Triad’s economic creative engine.”

 

Check out both articles listed below:

NonProfit All About Growth

Winston-Salem Journal

‘Swerve’ initiative to help link members of the creative economy

Triad Business Journal

 

 

For more information on Swerve, visit SwerveTriad.com

 

Creative Startups Accelerator

While most accelerators focus on tech companies, Creative Startups is an accelerator built from the bottom up with creative entrepreneurs in mind. Creative Startups help artists and creative businesses overcome the challenges and ricks associated with a startup by providing a world-class intensive course in Creative Entrepreneurship built, in partnership, with leading faculty of Stanford University. In addition to teaching core entrepreneurship concepts, Creative Startups increases leadership skills, develops an interpersonal communication toolbox, and connects participants with a supportive network and resource set through mentoring and alumni engagement. The program’s team, mentors, virtual accelerator, 5-day deep dive, and demo days bring together the largest gathering of creative founders, industry leaders, and investors in the nation.

Creative Startups – Deep Dive 2015 – Albuquerque, NM

The 2015 Deep Dive event, hosted in Albuquerque, connected 9 Startups with mentors and investors from around the world. Winston-Salem’s own, Chad Cheek, and Margaret Collins were among the 47 mentors. Chad is the owner of Elephant In The Room, a design and brand consultancy which specializes in graphic design, brand development and creation, as well as brand marketing and communication solutions.

Everyone involved in the Creative Startups share a vision of the Creative Economy as an area of tremendous potential and together are building the world’s largest network on behalf of entrepreneurs in the creative industries.

“The most valuable part of Creative Startups is the network: it’s like a customized group of people who know how to specifically help you, and want you to succeed.” – One entrepreneur spoke of her Deep Dive experience

Accelerating the Success of Creative Entrepreneurs in Winston-Salem

The creative industries have grown 8% over the past 6 years in North Carolina, and now create $14 billion in wages and sales. Winston-Salem has built strong creative industries and is becoming a leader in the southeast. The creative economy is undoubtedly an important driver in our regional and state economy, but they do have sufficient support to allow a creative entrepreneurial ecosystem to thrive. A catalyst is needed to connect partners and galvanize the launch and growth of new creative companies. The Center for Creative Economy and Creative Startups Accelerator are building a partnership nationally to collaborate, build and support our Winston-Salem/Triad creative  ecosystem, and launch new startups.