ASPIRE Chronicles: November 8th
November 7, 2023ASPIRE Chronicles: December 6th
December 7, 2023The ASPIRE Chronicles is a biweekly series bringing you the latest updates from ASPIRE Community Capital’s team as we share our impact and engagement in Charlotte’s small business community.
Check out what the ASPIRE team has been up to the last few weeks!
ASPIRE Celebrates the Beyond Open CLT Grant Recipients
The ASPIRE Team was delighted to attend the celebration of entrepreneurship and impact at this month’s Beyond Open CLT announcement of Round 2 Grantees. A total of 116 small business grantees and $4.8 million in grants were awarded. In January 2023, Beyond Open distributed small business grants totaling $5.9M to 177 small businesses at the conclusion of Round 1. This report included impact data from the Round 1 grantees: 200+ jobs created, over $1M in revenue added, and 400+ jobs preserved in the first six months of 2023. Looking forward to continuing partnering with Foundation For The Carolinas, Wells Fargo, and continuing out Technical Assistance Provider role in this great opportunity for Charlotte alongside Prospera USA and Women’s Business Center of Charlotte for round 3 in 2024!
We also had to two of our current CBA (Fall ’23) participants join us, Gabby and Rosalyn.
Learn more about Beyond Open CLT here.
ASPIRE Attends the Annual Summit for Rising Tide Capital
ASPIRE had a wonderful time attending the Rising Tide Capital Annual Summit! Each year, the Rising Tide Network gathers to connect, collaborate, and co-learn. Rising Tide Capital builds relationships and partnerships with local organizations across the nation that focus on entrepreneurship as a catalyst to transform lives and their local communities. This dynamic network of 17 partners has implemented the model to provide education, coaching, and support to entrepreneurs as they launch and grow their businesses.
Rising tide Capital’s impact is nationwide, with fellow organizations including Club Cares (Alexandria, LA); Elevate Branson (Branson, MO); Urbane (Brooklyn, NY); Lowcountry Local First (Charleston, SC); ASPIRE Community Capital (Charlotte, NC): Sunshine Enterprises (Chicago, IL); Urban Specialists (Dallas, TX); MAM – Memorial Assistance Ministries (Houston, TX); LIFT, Inc. Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA); Sherman Phoenix (Milwaukee, WI); Black BRAND(Norfolk, VA); POC Collaborative Community Resource Center (Omaha, NE); JWC Foundation (Richmond, VA); Urban League of Rochester (Rochester, NY); CREATE CAMPAIGN INC (Wichita, KS); and Elevate CBA (Willmar, MN).
Learn More about Rising Tide Capital here.
ASPIRE Attends 2023 GEW Kickoff Networking Event
ASPIRE CEO Manuel Campbell had a great time attending the 2023 GEW Kickoff Networking Event, kicking off Global Entrepreneurship Week with a number of Charlotte connections, and here with The National Institute of Minority Economic Development Charlotte team. Great seeing partners, clients, entrepreneurs, and the great ecosystem of economic development at work in Charlotte.
Learn More about GEW Charlotte here.
ASPIRE celebrates the launch of R.I.S.E. by the CLT Alliance Foundation
ASPIRE attended the CLT Alliance Foundation’s unveiling of R.I.S.E. – Regional Innovation and Support for Entrepreneurs. This digital resource hub is the bridge builder for businesses needing to navigate the entrepreneurial ecosystem to discover the abundance of organizations, learn about their programs for all stages of business, identify other supportive resources, funding, search and post their own events. We made this investment in you because we want you to win and we aim to minimize barriers to access. The platform is absolutely free to end users.
The event showcased the entrepreneurial work of Donovan Dunlap of Donovan’s Balloon Service, Jorieka Downey of GRITS CLT, and cupcakes from Krishana Oxner of The Fete Regale.
Learn More about R.I.S.E. here.
ASPIRE Attends Business Opportunity Hub Grant Announcement Ceremony
ASPIRE attended this month’s announcement ceremony for recipients of the Business Opportunity Hub Grants! On Wednesday, city leaders announced the recipients of the Business Opportunity Hub grants meant to support nonprofit organizations within the city’s designated low-income six Corridors of Opportunity. The $4.45 million was allocated after City Council approval on Monday. Speaking in West Charlotte, Mayor Vi Lyles spoke on how grants like these aim to create a more equitable city. The organizations to receive grants were: Latina America Chamber of Commerce, She Built This City, LISC Charlotte, Freedom Communities, The Hispanic Contractor Association of the Carolinas, and the The NEO Foundation.
Learn More about the Corridors of Opportunity here.
ASPIRE CBA Completes Final Game Simulation
ASPIRE’s Community Business Academy Fall ’23 Cohort finished their final ‘Game Simulation’ small business training exercise this month. With characters and exercises designed to teach you how to run a small business (and remember it all!), the ASPIRE game simulation leaves participants confident, informed, and ready to activate their business dreams! We also had a guest from the Rising Tide Network. Mrs. Krystin Lasprilla.
The Community Business Academy (CBA) is a 12-week course offering business training for entrepreneurs like you and focuses on business fundamentals such as budgeting, marketing, finance, and more. Our robust curriculum provides participants with the business skills that are essential for success through interactive simulation exercises and hands-on training.
Classes are taught by experienced small business owners with a wealth of entrepreneurial insight and knowledge. CBA classes are offered twice per year – in the Spring and Fall. Sessions are 3 hours long and held once per week.
At ASPIRE, we aim to remove barriers to entry to the world of entrepreneurship. The CBA is right for you if you have already made one sale of your goods/services and possess a passion to grow your own business, or want to improve your business management skills. What you need to successfully journey through our program is the willpower and commitment to step boldly into the change you desire to see. Learn more here.
Aaliyah Attends Mecklenburg County Social Media 101 Training
ASPIRE’s Communications Administrator, Aaliyah Young, polished her social media skills at ‘Social Media 101’ training for ARPA recipients. The event was led by Jameil Weldon, the Social Media Manager for Mecklenburg County, and provided a great set of tips and training to maximize social media messaging and impact.
Learn More about Jamiel Weldon here.
Manuel celebrates graduation from the RLB Leadership Academy
ASPIRE CEO Manuel Campbell was proud to graduate from ASPIRE’s Founding Board Chair, Ronnie L. Bryant, CEcD, FM, HLM’s new program called the RLB Leadership Academy which began in September. It’s a comprehensive program designed to help nonprofit executives understand the principles and strategies of effective leadership in the nonprofit sector. Ronnie is also the author of “Driving from the Backseat: Tips for surviving as a not-for-profit CEO” and has a wealth of experiences in the nonprofit sector and in executive leadership positions.
Learn More about the RLB Leadership Academy here.
ASPIRE’s Natalie Williams attends MWBE Coordinators Conference
ASPIRE’s Director of Operations Natalie Williams attended the MWBE Coordinators Network Conference as Moderator of Panel Discussions: Collaborative Synergy: Maximizing Business Diversity Through Strategic Partnerships. The event is an annual conference that brings diversity professionals together for education and networking, with this year’s theme being Elevate, Educate, and Empower: Cultivating Inclusive Excellence.The members of North Carolina MWBE Coordinators’ Network are committed to ensuring that all segments of the community have an equitable opportunity to participate in professional service contracts, procurement contracts, and construction projects, in both the public and private arenas.
Learn More about the MWBE Coordinators Network here.
ASPIRE joins CLT is Creative in celebrating graduates of the Fall ’23 CEI Cohort!
ASPIRE joins CLT is Creative in celebrating the completion of their latest CEI (Creative Entrepreneurs Initiative) Program. We are so proud of the amazing creatives who came together to form the latest cohort of our Creative Entrepreneurs Initiative. As part of that group, they took part in more than 10 entrepreneurial training and storytelling classes designed to help them build/evolve their creative businesses. And, they supported each other every step of the way.
Learn More about the CEI program here.
ASPIRE Community Capital specializes in business training and access to capital resources that empower underestimated entrepreneurs. Our strategic wrap-around services include: Business Readiness Program, Community Business Academy, Business Accelerator Services and Access to Capital. Join us today in CHANGING THE WORLD one business at a time.