⚠️ Note: This blog post is part of our archives and may contain outdated information.

We are extremely thrilled to have Destinee Charles join us as an intern this summer!

Here’s a hello from Destinee:

My name is Destinee Charles and I am from Lincolnton, North Carolina. I am senior at UNC Greensboro double majoring in Music and Arts Administration and minoring in Entrepreneurship.

Although I am still trying to figure out my dream job, I do want to start an organization that provides arts opportunities for youth in places that do not provide or significantly support the arts.

In my free time I like to watch movies, spend time with my family, make and listen to music, and write poetry. Regarding my internship with CCE, I am looking forward to working with the CCE staff, working on and bringing Velocity and other programs to life, and learning as much as I can while enhancing as many skills as possible.

Welcome to the team, Destinee! If you see her around, be sure to say hello – she’d love to meet more of our community!

⚠️ Note: This blog post is part of our archives and may contain outdated information.

Applications open on April 9 for the Center for Creative Economy’s fourth annual Creative Accelerator, an education and seed funding program that helps creative entrepreneurs develop business models and identify resources for growth.

Hosted by the Center for Creative Economy in Winston-Salem, NC, participants complete a 9-week virtual program, now titled “Velocity,” in which the top three startups split a pool of $50,000 in seed-stage investment. Companies throughout the world can apply. Go to ccetriad.com/Velocity to apply by June 2, 2019.

Running from July 30 to September 27, “Velocity” uses a rigorous educational curriculum developed by Professor of Practice at the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, Chris Mumford. His program, titled “Joe Startup,” uses a street-smart entrepreneurial education portal organized around the themes of Create, Tell, Sell and Run. Participants interact with whiteboard animations, a startup plan builder, and a social network to create an immersive learning experience for creative entrepreneurs. “Chris and CCE have collaborated to deliver this revitalized curriculum which combines the startup experience of both parties,’” said CCE Director, Margaret Collins.

Ten teams will complete 24 modules and case studies over nine weeks, working with professional mentors to guide them through the program. New in 2019 is an in-person kick-off weekend, August 9-11 in Winston-Salem, for participants to jump-start the program and work with their mentors/peers. The five-day DEEP DIVE, from September 22-27, lets teams work with directly global visionaries and creative leaders. The ever-popular DEMO NIGHT returns on September 26 where teams showcase their innovations to funding prospects, businesses, and the media. The Final Pitch Competition will be held on September 26, when the $50,000 in seed-stage funding will be awarded.

According to the 2018 Creative Startups Impact Report issued by CCE, 30 companies have participated in the program and 87 percent are still thriving. “Our startups have raised $3.1 million in funding and generated $3.4 million in revenues” added Collins. “We are a program with proven success in creating more than 50 jobs and helping creative entrepreneurs succeed. We’re especially proud of the fact that 70 percent of the founders of the companies in our program are women- or minority-owned.”

Learn more about Velocity and how to apply: ccetriad.com/velocity

⚠️ Note: This blog post is part of our archives and may contain outdated information.

We are all extremely thrilled to have two interns at CCE this spring! Both are driven young women that have contributed to many different tasks in CCE. Whether it is researching new ideas or prepping for our events they are always willing to lend a helping hand. Additionally, their passion for the visual arts is hands on and reflected in their personalities. Please read a little more about each of our interns below, and thank you Joanna and Liz for joining our team!

Joanna Haboon is the new marketing intern at the Center for Creative Economy. She is a student attending the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG), and studies both Arts Administration and Studio Art. She is a second-generation immigrant with three siblings and has relatives all over the United States. Her older sisters taught her how to draw when she was young, and from there she has explored different mediums, both digitally and traditionally, to make art.

A goal that she hopes to achieve in her education includes learning about marketing and its relationship to the creative community. Furthermore, she wishes to learn more about new technologies and how to use them in art. She hopes that her future career will involve providing artists with the opportunities they need to continue working from their passion.

Additionally, conversations in animation, game development and sequential art are areas of interest for her and she intends to place them in the canon of art history. Some inspirations for her personal art include the subjects above, as well as music, architecture, and fashion.

 

Liz Simmons is the new operations intern for the Center for Creative Economy. She is currently a junior at Salem College majoring in Art History and Economics. Liz is interested in the intersection of art and business and is particularly interested in the global art market

At Salem, Liz currently serves as the secretary and treasurer for her campus activities board where she coordinates events for students in and around Winston. In her free time, she enjoys painting, watercolor is her preferred medium, scouring Mega Thrift and Snob for good deals, and eating Korean BBQ pork tacos at Quiet Pint. While interning for the Center for Creative Economy, she is excited to meet Winston creatives and learn about businesses’ evolution in the Triad.

 

When you see them around be sure to say hello they would love to meet more of our community!

⚠️ Note: This blog post is part of our archives and may contain outdated information.

Happy New Year! The Center for Creative Economy is looking forward to another great year in 2019.

For those who have attended some of our most recent events, you may have noticed some very exciting changes to our organization. In the past six months, we’ve introduced two new team members to the CCE family!

We invite you to read on and learn a little more about the CCE team and what makes each member unique and a great resource to the organization and the creatives we serve! Please feel free to reach out anytime and be sure to introduce yourself next time you are at a Swerve event.

Let’s meet the team!

Margaret Collins, Founding Executive Director

Margaret Collins, is the Founding Executive Director of the Center for Creative Economy (CCE).

Margaret was recently named a Triad Power Player by the Triad Business Journal and serves on the Board of Directors of the Piedmont Triad Film Commission. Nationally, she served on the board of the National Creativity Network and was a co-founder of the National Creative Economy Coalition. Originally from Shelby, NC, Collins attended Wake Forest University and UNC School of the Arts receiving a B. A. in music from WFU studying trombone and piano. In Washington DC, she received an M.A. from The American University in Performing Arts: Arts Management. Margaret enjoys playing in the Winston-Salem Community Band. She and her husband, Ray, have a son, Michael, currently at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Margaret’s Fun Facts:

1. I am a big fan of hot yoga! On most Saturday mornings you can find me at the Robinhood YMCA stretching and sweating.  It’s a great stress reliever and I get some of my best ideas in class!

1. I love books on tape and usually have one going in my car.  Right now I’m reading Brene Brown’s “Dare to Lead” which is really intense.  During the holidays I took a break and watched a few Hallmark’s TV movies. So romantic, sweet, and festive!

1. I also love travel and this month headed to Singapore and Indonesia.  Ray and I are visiting with CCE board member, Shuyi Mo, and having a blast exploring Southeast Asia including Bali.   

Taryn Jerez, Marketing and Events Coordinator

Taryn Jerez was added to the team in June of 2018 as CCE’s Marketing and Events Coordinator.  Taryn is a Florida transplant and has called North Carolina home for the last four years. She obtained her B.F.A in Fashion Design and Marketing from the International Academy of Design & Technology in Tampa, FL. Taryn is a creative professional with experience working for Fortune 500 companies and diverse brands both big and small, which has allowed her to receive extensive experience in everything from branding and content marketing to product development, vendor relations, and more. She is passionate about small and women-owned business and her favorite thing about her role is organizing and facilitating monthly Swerve events. When she isn’t working, you can find her watching Netflix on the couch with her husband, cat, and two dogs or doing a craft project.

Taryn’s Fun Facts:

1. I am actually a small business owner myself. I’m a creative business coach and the founder of One Crafty Miss, LLC, an online space created for female entrepreneurs to fuel the heart behind their hustle. I love working with female makers and creatives to help them make more money, doing what they love.

1. I am married to my “high school sweetheart”. We actually met at band camp when we were fifteen years old and have been together ever since.

1. I have a huge love for sea turtles and am really passionate about sea turtle conservation! Every year, I support the Sea Turtle Hospital in Marathon, Florida and one of my goals in the future is to volunteer with them at a sea turtle release.

Kayla Norris, Operations and Community Development Coordinator

Kayla Norris is the newest team member with CCE and is the Operations and Community Development Coordinator. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Management of Nonprofit Organizations from Johnson University in Knoxville, TN. Passionate about strategic planning, implementing systems and community development, her favorite part about her role at CCE is getting to connect with individual creatives and learn about their unique skills and passions. Kayla grew up in Winston-Salem and moved back here from Knoxville in 2018 to pursue a career in the nonprofit industry. In her free time, Kayla likes to explore downtown Winston-Salem with her husband, Adam, and golden retriever, Ruby.

Kayla’s Fun Facts:

1. I was born in Colorado and have lived in Massachusetts, New York, and Tennessee, but  will always consider North Carolina my home! I lived in Winston-Salem from age 9 until I left for college. After 6 years in gorgeous Knoxville, TN, my husband and I had Carolina on our minds once again and decided to move back home in the spring of 2018.

1. My creative outlet is writing! I enjoy journaling, writing poetry and writing short stories. I won a newspaper essay contest, was on a radio show, and spoke in front of a group of 1,500 people all before age 15.

1. My dream for later in life is to run a bed & breakfast out of a historic farmhouse with lots of land for raising golden retrievers. I love nothing more than creating the perfect environment for people to feel comfortable, important, and loved.  

 

The CCE team is often referred to as “small but mighty”, and we think it couldn’t be more fitting!

While each member of the team comes from different backgrounds and experiences, together there is an abundant amount of passion for creative entrepreneurs and the impact that can be made in the creative community. As we enter 2019, know that our team is here to serve and we look forward to a wonderful year ahead!

⚠️ Note: This blog post is part of our archives and may contain outdated information.

 “NC IDEA, a private foundation committed to supporting entrepreneurial ambition and economic advancement in North Carolina, announced today that the organization is awarding thirteen grants, totaling over $1.5 million to organizations throughout the state that support the Foundation’s vision to empower North Carolinians to achieve their entrepreneurial potential.

“Today’s announcement is the Foundation’s largest single funding to date, bringing our total in ECOSYSTEM grants to nearly $3 million to 24 organizations over the past two years,” said Thom Ruhe, President and CEO of NC IDEA. “By partnering with these organizations, we create greater opportunity for the statewide exchange of ideas, experiences and connections,” Ruhe added.”

Read the full article here.

⚠️ Note: This blog post is part of our archives and may contain outdated information.

 The 2018 Creative Startups Winston-Salem Winners Margot and Trevor Toppen of Edumotion, Wendy Hickey of ArtPop Street Gallery, and Kevin Clark of Point Motion

 

“During the past two months, ten creative enterprises completed an 8-week business educational program and came to Winston-Salem, NC, to compete for a split of $50,000 in seed stage investment offered by the Center for Creative Economy as part of the world-class Creative Startups Southeast Accelerator program. In North Carolina alone, creative industries generate $14 billion in wages, salaries and benefits and are a driver of the state’s economic future.”

Recent news articles:

Yes! Weekly – Three Creative Startups Are Winners of $50,000 From The Center For Creative Economy

 Want to learn more about Creative Startups Winston-Salem? Learn More here. 

⚠️ Note: This blog post is part of our archives and may contain outdated information.

 Our August Swerve event was packed to the brim with valuable content and amazing creatives!

This month’s Swerve speaker, Joshua Moyer helped CCE serve up a wonderful Swerve event. Joshua is the Social Media Manager for the Modern Automotive Network, serving all 15 dealerships of the network. He is responsible for the social and reputation management for the company as well as managing 70+ social media accounts! Additionally, Joshua is the owner of Dichotomy, LLC, an entertainment company providing the highest quality musical entertainment for any event in the greater Triad area.

His presentation on social media provided exactly what so many small business owners need- a strategy that helps them work smarter and not harder! Joshua shared his favorite tips and tools for honing in on your ideal audience across each platform while staying organized and making the greatest impact possible.

 Here are three takeaways from our August Swerve event that you can apply to your creative business’s social media strategy today.

Put the Right Systems in Place

As social media has become one of the largest marketing resources a company has to reach its audience, the amount of time and energy spent on it has increased exponentially. While larger businesses often have a team or point person over social media, small business owners are often left managing it themselves. This is where taking the time to implement the right systems into your social media strategy can be a major game changer!

Scheduling posts ahead of time across your social media platforms can add hours of valuable time back to your schedule. Joshua’s favorite resources include scheduling tools such as Hootsuite and Sprout Social, both of which offer free trials to see which may be right for you. Learning the impact that your social media efforts have are just as important which is why using a tool like SquareLovin to increase your customer engagement and ROI can be incredibly helpful.

Collaborate With Outside Brands

One of the most overlooked added values of social media are the endless amounts of partnerships opened up to business owners. Social media is the perfect opportunity to gain visibility with other brands and create engagement you both can benefit from. Adding just a small amount of effort to building relationships across different brands on social media can create more organic traffic and engagement for your business.

An example of this is implementing hashtags that suit your brand’s topic or audience when creating posts. According to Wikipedia, adding hashtags makes it easier for users to find messages with a specific theme or content. Joshua suggests spending some time researching the best hashtags for your specific audience or niche, as customers and clients often find businesses this way online. Another way to connect with other brands is to tag them or backlink to their social media accounts or website. This not only highlights their business on your platform, but allows their audience to find you as well. There are also numerous benefits to strengthening SEO for both parties through backlinking.

Think outside the box and get personal with high value brands that you would like to partner with more personally and invite them to partake in a giveaway or social media collaboration of some kind. Relationships translate online as much as they do offline when it comes to social media impact.

Keep Things Consistent

Once you put the right systems in place and hone in on the right content strategy for your creative business the hardest part can be staying consistent. Trust us when we say that this is one of the most important factors in growing a strong social network behind your brand.

Consistency in the quantity of your posts as well as the quality are important to connecting with your audience. Suggested tools for scheduling posts as mentioned above come in helpful when trying to stay consistent but also remembering that the goal is to have your audience know when and where to find you. Whether you post three times a day on all social media platforms or once a day on only two, the important thing is to be consistent. Remember to keep the quality of posts consistent as well. Similar to the standards you set for the products or services your business offers, the content you create should follow suit.

Social media can be overwhelming if you don’t take the time to get organized and plan out your creative business strategy. You want to get the most out of your time and efforts so put to use some of the above resources and advice and see how you can impact your current strategy to make it work for you.

CCE hopes to see you at the next event on September 25th for Creative Startups Winston-Salem Demo Night. It’s going to be an incredible evening!

⚠️ Note: This blog post is part of our archives and may contain outdated information.

 We are pleased to welcome Jack Hupper as our summer intern for CCE!  He is a fortunate addition to our growing team and in just a few short weeks has already jumped in and started creating a real impact!

Jack is a rising senior at Wake Forest University with a double major in Communications and Spanish. He is involved in Greek life and the music scene on campus. As a passionate creative with a love for the arts in many areas, he fits in perfectly here at CCE!

Since Jack is helping CCE so much this summer, we wanted to learn more about his life and experiences and share that with our readers.  Thanks Jack for all your help and support!

 

Where are you from originally and what brought you here to Winston-Salem?

I was born in Concord, MA, just outside of Boston, but I’ve moved around a bit.  I lived in Massachusetts until I finished my sophomore year in high school, and then moved  to Cincinnati, OH for the remainder of my pre-college years. Since Cincinnati, I’ve lived and worked in Los Angeles, CA, Tenants Harbor, ME, and a brief stint in Albuquerque, NM. During the year, I’m here in Winston-Salem at Wake, and it looks like I may be sticking around for a while!

What are you passionate about outside of your internship and school?

My weekends are generally packed with big mural painting projects, making music and writing. I hope to be able to continue to hold on to these passions as I make my way through life.  I’m also the president of my a capella group, the Melodeacs , and I’m excited about growing the group and broadening my own personal horizons both inside and outside of school.

I’m an animal and conservation buff, too.  The way humans and animals have interacted with and changed each other over the years absolutely fascinates me. I love learning about how surprisingly “human” so much of the life that we share this world with really is!

What attracted you to the opportunity at CCE?

Right now, I’m trying to figure out what I want to do with my life; where I want to be, what kind of work I’d like to be doing, who I’d like to be helping.  I’ve already worked a little in finance on the corporate side of the workforce, and this year I was searching for a different kind of experience. I’m a creative guy, so when I found this opportunity at CCE, I went for it.  Being able to work with other creatives in a productive way is an opportunity I’ve never had before. I wanted to see how I personally could influence our creative economy here in Winston-Salem.

CCE offers great opportunities to meet people locally, and more importantly, its amazing programs have real traction and are gaining widespread appeal.  CCE has accomplished a lot to date, but there is such a huge potential for growth. I’m thrilled at the opportunity to help in the development of a company whose cause I truly believe in, and that’s why I’m here!

What has been your favorite part of your internship so far?

Swerve events are the best!  They’re packed with energetic, exciting, hungry creatives looking to build serious value with their unique skills.  These are my people and I’m thrilled to have found them!

What is one thing you’ve learned so far that surprised you about the Creative Economy here in Winston-Salem?

It’s everywhere! It seems like everywhere I turn there’s something or someone invested in the creative economy. Whether it’s a young entrepreneur with her own line of style-wear or a retail giant like HanesBrands, Winston-Salem’s creative economy is everywhere.  We range from super small-scale to huge creativity-centric corporations and everywhere in between. I didn’t realize quite how much of a creative hotbed I’ve been living in for the past few years until very recently. I’m thrilled at being able to discover it all now.

If you had deep financial backing, what kind of creative venture would you build and why?

Right now, I’m interested in storage container homes.  Storage containers, like the ones you see on cargo ships or trains, are an interestingly versatile medium, like Lego, and they’ve got a lot of potential as housing and workspaces.  If I had all the money in the world, I’d build out a business focused on designing, constructing, and renting or selling high-quality affordable housing made from storage containers to low-income families.  

I’ve been lucky enough to have a roof over my head my whole life, but there are millions who haven’t been given the same opportunities.  Think about it, there are countless people out there who can’t spend time making their dreams a reality because they’re too busy scraping by just trying to pay for overpriced housing or just get food on the table.  Think about Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk. These movers, shakers and producers of tomorrow could be some of these people! If I can do something to take some of the weight off of their shoulders by getting affordable housing out there, just imagine how many more people would be able to achieve their true goals and make the world an even better place.  I’m a big believer in paying it forward, both for myself and for future generations, so I view this as both a morally sound venture and an investment in the future. I won’t need all the money in the world to make it happen, either, so keep an eye out for me!

We are definitely keeping an eye out for Jack and know he will continue to accomplish great things here with CCE and well beyond!

Please help us welcome Jack as you see him with the team in the coming weeks and be sure to say hello at our next Swerve event on August 16th!

 

⚠️ Note: This blog post is part of our archives and may contain outdated information.

At the Center for Creative Economy, we define creative enterprises as companies and individuals that combine design, arts, and technology to create a product or service that gets created, made, and distributed into the economy. According to the US Bureau of Economic Analysis,  creative industries contribute $700 billion to the US Gross Domestic Product and $26 billion in revenues in North Carolina.

In fact, the creative economy is growing faster than any economic sector. Our Creative Startups cohorts are included in that increasing number of creative industry professionals that are revolutionizing education technology, print and digital design, creative R&D, software, fashion, film, music, and countless other fields that specialize integrating arts and innovation.

Hair Styling, Make up, and Prosthetics

Christal Schanes, Creative Startups alum and Founder of MEDwig, is changing the world of possibility for medical patients suffering from hair loss. Her career expertise in commercial and stage wig building, hairstyling, makeup, and prosthetics with UNC School of the Arts inspired a company in constructing high quality, custom, medical wigs. Her approach uses state-of-the-art materials that allow patients to have the look and security of natural hair while still allowing hair regrowth to occur.

Creative Tech

Another alum, Carrie Shaw, works at the intersection of health education and virtual reality storytelling. She is the CEO and founder Embodied Labs, a virtual reality platform for healthcare services workforce training. As a medical illustrator and health educator, Carrie developed an interest in the possibility of using virtual reality storytelling to convey the perspective of vulnerable patient populations. Embodied Labs now specializes in creating interactive VR programs that promote healthcare professionals to share expertise and value patient care.

Embodied Labs has just celebrated 1.5 years and currently have 13 academic institutions and 11 long term care & home health agencies using Embodied Labs for caregiver training and development.  For further context, the academic institutions that have signed with them are using Embodied Labs across MD, DO, PA, PT, social work, and nursing programs.  Here is an article by University of New England on how their medical students are using Embodied Labs.  All of these institutions have subscribed to their software to be used on VR hardware that they house in their sim centers, libraries, or centers for faculty teaching & learning.  It’s great to see the uses for VR-based training continue to grow!

These companies are only a couple of examples of how creatives are building the economy and community through the channel of creative industries. Creative Startups Winston-Salem shares in the vision of stimulating innovation and creativity by providing an environment in which creatives can grow in this rapidly expanding industry.

Need help tackling those difficult obstacles in your business?  

If you are a creative entrepreneur, check out Creative Startups’ high impact business accelerator. Join Creative Startups for an online info session on May 24th, and learn how to launch, grow, and scale your creative business.

⚠️ Note: This blog post is part of our archives and may contain outdated information.

 May 3, 2018 Asheville, N.C.

Parsec Financial, an independent fee-only wealth management firm, announced today it has awarded The Center for Creative Economy (CCE) a Parsec Prize for 2018. The CCE will receive $20,000 to connect and promote the creative industries in the Piedmont Triad.

Founded in 2011, the CCE serves as an advocate for creative industries and entrepreneurs; those businesses and organizations that make or market products and services associated with innovation, aesthetics, design or culture. CCE serves as a catalyst for innovation among creative industries, promoting connectivity and job growth in North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad, including Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and High Point.

“Our mission is to Launch, Grow, and Accelerate Creative entrepreneurs and businesses,” said Margaret Collins, founding executive director for The Center for Creative Economy. “This award will fund our 2018 Creative Startups accelerator which focuses emerging creative entrepreneurs on the business skill development they vitally need to turn their promising businesses into companies that can grow and scale.”

Locally and nationally, there is a severe lack of resources for creative entrepreneurs. The funds will support marketing outreach to creatives in NC and the Southeast, license fees, books, hotel, food, and other course expenses. This accelerator program is uniquely suited to startups scaling not just in their region, but also around the world.

“We are excited to award a Parsec Prize to the Center for Creative Economy in Winston-Salem,” said Daniel Johnson, senior financial advisor with Parsec Financial. “As a small business that has been around since 1980, Parsec and its founders are big supporters of the entrepreneurial spirit. Awarding this prize during Parsec’s first year in Winston-Salem is reminiscent of our humble beginnings in Asheville. We can’t think of a better way to begin our support of the Winston-Salem community, than to support an organization so closely related to our own roots.”

About Parsec Financial:

For over 35 years, Parsec Financial has provided financial planning and investment management services to Western North Carolina and beyond. With over $2.5 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2017, Parsec provides investment management, retirement planning, and estate and trust advisory services. The mission of Parsec Financial is to help clients set financial goals, create an investment strategy in accordance with those goals, and maintain this focus through long-term investment management.