Thank you to the Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County for supporting CCE’s growth through the ARPA grant. This investment helped us expand the CCE team and our organizational capacity, allowing us to grow the impact of our programs.

“It has been exciting to support the Center for Creative Economy over the past two years through our ARPA grant from Forsyth County. The organization empowers artists and creatives to develop critical entrepreneurial skills, and bring their creative businesses to life. CCE’s programs strengthen individual careers while enriching the cultural and economic vitality of our city. We’re proud to support CCE in fostering a flourishing creative economy in our community.”

Samantha Howard, President and CEO, Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County

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!

The YEE-HAW is out of the bag!

Chef Josh of Y’all Sauce, a 2022 Velocity alumni, recently competed in the first round of the NCRLA Chef Showdown 2025 at Sandhills Community College in Southern Pines. Now, everyone is eagerly awaiting news to see if Josh will advance to the next round of this exciting statewide culinary competition.

This opportunity is a major step forward for Y’all Sauce as they continue to grow their presence in North Carolina and strengthen relationships with local farming partners.

Thank you to Truist Bank for supporting our Pathways program. Their investment helps aspiring entrepreneurs gain the resources, guidance, and connections needed to bring their business ideas to life.

“At Truist, our purpose is to inspire and build better lives and communities. We believe in the power of entrepreneurship to drive economic mobility and build stronger communities. We’re proud to support the Pathways program as it equips and empowers Winston-Salem’s emerging entrepreneurs with the knowledge and connections they need to plan and launch their business ideas.”

Mitch Gibson, SVP, Director CRA Community Development, Truist Bank

Coco Fro’s Big Wins

Hats off to Kayte Freelon, founder of Coco Fro, a 2024 Velocity Alumni, as she continues to expand and reach new milestones. You can now find Coco Fro’s whimsical and unique freeze-dried ice cream flavors at two new Science Museums in North Carolina.

Coco Fro has partnered with the Museum of Life and Science in Durham. This collaboration brings Coco Fro’s products to a renowned space dedicated to education, exploration, and discovery.

In addition, Coco Fro has announced a new partnership with Kaleideum here in Winston-Salem. This exciting collaboration is a great step forward as Coco Fro continues to grow and make an impact across North Carolina.

Be sure to check out their products at these locations and support a local business on the rise.

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!

CCE was honored to participate as a sponsor and table host at the Access to Capital Summit last month at the Enterprise Center at Winston-Salem State University. This event brought together small business owners, financial institutions, and entrepreneurial service organizations for a day of learning, networking, and growth. The inspiring speakers and hands-on workshops helped everyone make new connections.

⚠️ 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. Click to register and be part of this exciting event!

We want to thank the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners for their support of our programs. Through the County’s ARPA funding that was awarded to the Arts Council of Winston-Salem, we received a grant for 2023 and 2024 that funded a new staff position. This allowed us to strengthen our operating capacity and share our programs with more people. Forsyth County also funds our Velocity and Kinetic programs, and we are extremely grateful for their support, which is building sustainability for CCE and creative entrepreneurs.

“The Forsyth County Commissioners are proud to support the Center for Creative Economy and their work educating early-stage entrepreneurs.  CCE’s results from the Velocity Accelerator and Kinetic Boot Camp are helping new startups launch. These new startups are having a meaningful impact on Forsyth County.” 

Don Martin, Chairman, Board of Commissioners, Forsyth Countyh County

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

Happy New Year! We hope your 2025 is off to a great start. A new year is the perfect time for fresh ideas and exciting goals. If you or someone you know has been thinking about turning a creative business idea into reality, our Kinetic Bootcamp is the perfect place to start!

Kinetic is a 6-week program where aspiring entrepreneurs can develop their early business ideas and learn more about their future customers. Each week, participants work with expert mentors and facilitators who guide them through customer discovery and idea validation. Graduates of Kinetic have started their own businesses, joined advanced programs, and even received additional external funding. Applications are open now and close on January 21st, so don’t wait! Please share this opportunity with your friends and network so we can make 2025 the year of bold beginnings.

We’re also starting the year with some great news at CCE. We’re excited to welcome Darilyn Nieto, our new intern, to the team! Darilyn has a passion for entrepreneurship and her fresh ideas fit perfectly with our mission. We are grateful for our partnership with Salem College, which makes this possible. We are looking forward to the impact she will make! 

Thank you for supporting the creative economy! Let’s make this year one full of growth and success.