Grand Opening Celebration: Karen Bonner of Sage and Lavender Kulture Kitchen

Congratulations to Karen Bonner, a proud graduate of our Pathways program, on the grand opening of Sage and Lavender Kulture Kitchen earlier this month! Karen, alongside her husband, Chef Anthony, has brought her dream to life by launching this unique culinary business that provides dining experiences at the stunning Villa Magnolia wedding venue. Their beautifully curated menu and elegant space are already making waves in the community, and we couldn’t be more proud to celebrate their success!

Instagram @Sage_LavenderCollective

TikTok @sagelavenderkulturekit

Happy July! We hope you’re soaking up the summer and finding ways to stay cool. Here at CCE, the season is heating up with anticipation as we prepare to launch Velocity 2025 in just two weeks!

On August 12th, we’ll welcome our 10th cohort of creative entrepreneurs into our 10-week accelerator. Over the past decade, the Center for Creative Economy has helped 178 founders refine their business models, connect with mentors, and pitch for seed-stage funding. This year promises to be no different, and we’re eager to see the bold ideas this new group will bring to life.

The excitement builds all the way to Demo Day on October 16th, where our entrepreneurs will pitch their businesses for a share of $20K in seed-stage grants. It’s always an inspiring evening and we’d love for you to be there! Register now to secure your spot.

Register Here

As we look toward Velocity’s milestone 10th cohort, we’re reminded of how every CCE program contributes to growing creative businesses. This month, we’re thrilled to share newly released videos for Pathways and Kinetic, two of our programs designed to support creatives at earlier stages of their journey. Pathways provides residents of Winston-Salem with the space to develop their mindset as aspiring entrepreneurs and explore business ideas. Kinetic is the next step that provides a hands-on environment to validate business models and work through the customer discovery process. Please enjoy the videos linked here to see these programs in action.

Momentum like this is only possible through the generosity of our community. With sponsorship opportunities for Demo Day now open, there’s never been a better time to partner with us and help fuel the future of creative entrepreneurship. Contact Margaret Collins to learn more about how you can get involved.

Thank you for standing with us as we empower creative entrepreneurs. Together, we’re building a thriving ecosystem of innovation and creativity, and we can’t wait to celebrate more success stories with you this fall.

Donate Now

We’re so glad you are a part of the CCE family!

With gratitude,

The CCE Team

Happy June from the Center for Creative Economy! As summer kicks off, we’re busy behind the scenes preparing to welcome our newest Velocity cohort this August.

Velocity is our 10-week business accelerator for creatives, helping founders sharpen their business models, build strong brands, and connect with expert mentors. This year, participants will compete for $20,000 in seed funding, including the $10,000 CCE Velocity Award and two $5,000 Wells Fargo Emerging Entrepreneur Awards.

Applications for Velocity just closed, and we’re thrilled to see the number of passionate, creative entrepreneurs who applied. We’ll announce the final cohort in early August, and we’d love for you to meet them in person! Demo Day is back on October 16th, where you’ll get a front-row seat to the growth, innovation, and creativity of our 2025 Velocity cohort. This year marks the 10th anniversary of CCE’s accelerator programming and we can’t wait to celebrate with you.

Register here for Demo Day.

As we wrap up our Spring Giving Campaign and fiscal year on June 30, your support enables us to continue serving creative entrepreneurs. Help us continue offering resources, mentorship, and funding to innovative creatives. Make a donation to strengthen the creative economy in our community. Every gift helps us build a thriving creative economy.

This spring has been full of energy and growth here at the Center for Creative Economy. We were proud to kick off May with a successful launch of the Capital Coaching workshop. At the beginning of May, local Winston-Salem founders participated in workshop sessions focused on becoming grant funding eligible. This program was made possible by the collaboration of seven Entrepreneurial Support Organizations here in Winston-Salem. Thank you to our incredible partners who helped us make this program possible and to the entrepreneurs who showed up ready to grow!

Now, we’re shifting gears into Velocity season! Applications are officially open for Velocity 2025, our 10-week accelerator for creative entrepreneurs. This program is built for founders who are serious about growing their businesses. Through weekly workshops, expert mentoring, and a hands-on curriculum, participants strengthen their brand, sharpen their business model, and learn how to pitch for up to $10,000 in seed funding.

If you or someone you know is building a business in fashion, media, beauty, food, wellness, the arts, or other creative industries, we encourage you to apply! Visit our website at ccetriad.com to get started. Applications close June 10, and space is limited.

And finally, we’ve officially launched our Spring Giving Campaign. Your support makes it possible for CCE to continue offering programs like Velocity. A gift of any size, $25, $100, or $1,000, helps creative entrepreneurs gain the tools and training they need to thrive.

If you believe in the power of creativity and entrepreneurship to strengthen our community, we invite you to make a donation to CCE by June 30th. Every gift helps us build a thriving creative economy.

Thank you for being part of our journey!

We kicked off the season by wrapping up Kinetic 2025 on April 10th. This six-week creative business boot camp brought together a passionate group of early-stage entrepreneurs, and we couldn’t be more proud of their growth. Congratulations to Cirque du Sucre, winner of the $1,000 Kinetic Potential Award. Most participants also received generous in-kind awards from our community partners, including legal services, business coaching, and co-working space. A huge thanks to everyone who helped make this Kinetic cohort such a success!

We are thrilled to announce a new partnership with leaders in Winston-Salem’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. On May 1st, CCE will cohost Capital Coach, a workshop for early-stage business owners. The first session will focus on Grants and becoming business grant eligible. Our partners include Forsyth Tech’s Small Business Center, Goler CDC, Winston-Salem Black Chamber of Commerce, Women’s Business Center at SG Atkins, Triad Minority and Women’s Business Expo, Greater Winston-Salem Inc., and Winston Starts. We are delighted to work with our partners on a program to support financial sustainability for small businesses and early-stage entrepreneurs.

Meanwhile, it is officially Velocity time! Applications are open for our signature 10-week accelerator for creative entrepreneurs. This program is designed for early-stage founders who are ready to master business fundamentals and take their ventures to the next level. Velocity includes hands-on workshops, a tailored curriculum, expert mentors, and the opportunity to compete for up to $10,000 in seed-stage grants. Applications close on June 10, so please spread the word or apply today.

April brings the launch of our Spring Giving Campaign. We are very grateful for the individual support CCE receives to host and implement our unique programs for creative entrepreneurs. Your donation helps us provide the tools, training, and resources that creative and artists need to grow their businesses. Whether you give $25, $100, or $1,000 your support makes a real impact!
If you believe in the power of creativity and entrepreneurship to strengthen our community, we invite you to make a donation to CCE by June 30th. Every gift helps us build a thriving creative economy.

Thank you for being part of our journey!

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

We’re excited to announce that applications are now open for the 2025 Velocity Creative Accelerator. If you’re building a business in the creative sector and ready to grow, this is the opportunity for you.

Velocity is a 10-week program designed specifically for creative entrepreneurs. Through a mix of in-person and virtual sessions, expert mentorship, and peer collaboration, you’ll build business skills, strengthen your brand, and prepare to pitch for a seed stage grant.

Whether you’re launching, rebooting, or scaling, Velocity helps you take the next step with clarity and confidence.

We can’t wait to hear your big idea.

— The CCE Team

News from Velocity 2023 Alumni, Brenda Pokorny!

Take a seat on the bench and experience Delirium!

Experience delirium when you visit this exhibition of Brenda’s botanical mosaics paired with Christine Knize’s oversized orchid portraits. With animated video projections produced by Jeff Cason, this installation immerses you in a series of gorgeous gardens.

The exhibit, Delirium: Botanicals in Oils and Glass, will be on display at the Dalton Gallery in Rock Hill, SC, from March 28 through May 2, 2025. A special reception will be held on May 1 from 5:30-7:30 pm.

• See more from Brenda and watch a Delirium trailer
• Learn More about the Delirium Exhibit

March is off to a great start here at CCE. We’re proud to announce the launch of our Kinetic Boot Camp 2025 with eleven new entrepreneurs! This six-week program helps idea-stage business owners focus on customers and validate their ideas. Stay tuned on our social media. We’ll be introducing each new founder and their business soon!

But that’s not all! Our Pathways for Entrepreneurial Success program just celebrated the presentations and graduation of nine new cohort members as they strengthened their entrepreneurial mindset. During this program “lived experience speakers” share their personal stories and model important skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, and resiliency. In addition, CCE introduces the cohort to leaders of the Winston-Salem Entrepreneurial Ecosystem to explore their programs and resources. Our graduates create a road map for their next steps, and we can’t wait to see how they bloom as entrepreneurs!

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

CCE Alumni Invited to Pitch for Investor Forum

On March 20th, four CCE alumni will pitch for prizes at the 2025 Winston Starts Investor Forum. This annual event provides founders with the opportunity to connect with investors from across North Carolina and the Southeast, helping them gain valuable support and take their businesses to the next level.

This year, Seth Wingate of Ready Set Go Media, Kelly Maxey of Mom League from Kinetic 2022, Q. Nicole Vanderhorst of WH Farms from Velocity 2023, and Josh McGee of Y’all Company from Velocity 2020 will take the stage to share their ventures.

We hope you can attend and show your support for these founders as they pitch their businesses to investors. It’s a great opportunity to engage with the startup community and see firsthand the innovation happening in our network. 

As 2024 comes to an end, we’re looking back on an amazing year at CCE. With the help of 45 volunteer mentors, we worked with 53 entrepreneurs through our Pathways, Kinetic, and Velocity programs. These programs give creative business owners the tools and support they need to grow their ideas. This year, we also awarded $24,000 in seed grants to help these entrepreneurs take their next steps.

To show our thanks, we held a volunteer appreciation event to celebrate the mentors, facilitators, board members, and guest speakers who make our work possible. Their passion and hard work have made a real difference for the entrepreneurs we serve, and we couldn’t do it without them. Plus, they showed off some awesome (and impressively ugly) sweaters!

Looking ahead to 2025, we’re excited to kick off new Pathways and Kinetic cohorts. Pathways for Entrepreneurial Success is a six-week program that helps new entrepreneurs build the right mindset for growth. Kinetic is a six-week boot camp for early-stage entrepreneurs who want to test their ideas and learn about their customers. If you or someone you know is interested, visit ccetriad.com to learn more and apply.

We’re so grateful for everyone who has supported CCE this year. Whether you volunteered, donated, or cheered us on, you’ve helped us empower creative entrepreneurs. Your support means so much. If you’d like to donate, visit ccetriad.com and click “Donate Now.”

From all of us at CCE, we wish you and your loved ones a happy holiday season. Here’s to new beginnings and exciting opportunities in 2025!