ASPIRE Chronicles: September 11th
September 11, 2023ASPIRE Chronicles: October 11th
October 11, 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’s Fall ’23 Community Business Academy kicks off!
The first day of the 2023 Fall CBA Class!! Here at ASPIRE, we believe in the power of connections and our programs to transform the individual lives of business owners through financial independence. The CBA empowers those individuals to transform their communities for the better. That’s what the amazing group of determined, ambitious, and dedicated business owners pictured here will come to gain through the combination of business skills and the power of connections forged in this cohort. We can’t wait to see all that this great group of small business owners will accomplish!
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.
The ASPIRE team sponsors and attends “Sincerely Charlotte” from Mia Love Live!
“Sincerely, Charlotte: A Love Letter to Old Charlotte” is a live production that takes a nostalgic look into the past of the city of Charlotte, NC. With each story intentional in its own way, Charlotte native and performer/storyteller Mia Love Live takes the time to commemorate, honor, recollect, and show love to some of the city’s most famous staples that once were, and are no more.
Mia is a riveting writer and storytelling. She possesses a deep love for the city that shaped her and is intentional in how she toils the land that holds her. This brilliant and honest collection of stories transported audience members back in time to the days of Kate’s Skates, Eastland Mall hangouts, ‘chicken coop visits, and that unforgettable day when the scoreboard fell in the newly opened Charlotte Arena. The journey lifts the beauty of the city through the years honoring the past and celebrating the marvel that Charlotte has become. But, with any true love, accountability is inevitable. Mia artfully and pointedly articulates how certain growth areas of Charlotte have strangled the life out of others. Like helping a loved one see how their actions impact those around them, Mia depicts the glory of the flame and the ashes left behind.
This love letter to Charlotte envelopes the audience like a warm vanilla and cinnamon scented blanket. It is comforting and familiar. It is humorous and impactful. It illuminates the place that people have been their entire lives with bright teals, oranges, and purple hues. It’s welcoming to those who have left and returned as well as those of us who have chosen the Queen City as our own. For each of us, it is as Mia would say, “home.”
— Christopher Capel, ASPIRE’s Director of Programs
ASPIRE meets with partners from FFTC!
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- Manuel, Wesley, and Qiana Austin
ASPIRE had a great connection meeting with Foundation For The Carolinas’ Qiana Austin, the Vice President and Scholarships Program Officer at FFTC. Qiana has over 20 years of experience in philanthropy, non-profit management, and education. She was recently featured in Charlotte Business Journal’s “Power 100” list recognizing major civic change-makers in Charlotte! ASPIRE is so grateful for and inspired by our budding relationship with Foundation For The Carolinas, Charlotte’s own community foundation with an amazing capacity to do good in our community.
Foundation For The Carolinas serves as a catalyst for philanthropic activity in our 13-county region and is a driver for major civic efforts. They offer innovative solutions that help individuals, nonprofits and companies bring their charitable visions to life.
Friedman & Associates joined the ASPIRE team for workshops catered by ASPIRE graduates!
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- Food was Catered by G.R.I.T.S, Chef Jo.
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- Natalie and Wes!
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- Chef Jo and Natalie Williams!
ASPIRE had the great pleasure of working with Friedman & Associates, Jason Friedman & Celina Peña, during a strategic planning session. The food at the event was catered by Chef Jo of G.R.I.T.S, and Khalfani Bey of Khal Kuisine, local small business owners who graduated from ASPIRE’s business programs! (Not to mention, the food is PHENOMENAL!)
Friedman & Associates helps build and grow remarkably successful Community Development Financial Institutions to finance a more inclusive and equitable economy. Learn more about what ASPIRE is doing with it’s CDFI status here, and how we can secure members of our community with the micro-loans needed to get small businesses up and running on our Access to Capital page!
ASPIRE joins The Latin American Chamber of Commerce of Charlotte (LACCC) for their new Spark Centro Center for Opportunity!
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- Ana Silva Rey and Manuel
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- Rocio Gonzalez-Zornosa and Manuel
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- Manuel and Ron Fisher
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- Astrid Chirinos and Manuel
ASPIRE CEO Manuel Campbell met up with some great connections at The Latin American Chamber of Commerce of Charlotte (LACCC) opening event for their new facility, Spark Centro Center for Opportunity! He’s pictured above with Astrid Chirinos (Community Engagement Executive Director of YMCA of Greater Charlotte), Ana Silva Rey (Executive Director of Latin Americans Working for Achievement), Rocio Gonzalez-Zorna (Executive Director of the Women’s Business Center of Charlotte), and Ron Fisher (President of HBC Consulting).
LACCC envisions Spark Centro Center for Economic Opportunity as an epicenter for collaboration between the County residents we serve there as well as partner organizations, the private sector, and government agencies. They are planning for a small business incubator and coworking space, retail space for emerging entrepreneurs, and event space to host recruitment fairs, skill-building workshops, and workforce training.
The Latin American Chamber of Commerce fosters the Economic Growth and Development of the Latin American Business Community in the Charlotte Region. Learn more here.
Manuel joins Sam Smith at GreenLight Fund’s Empower Charlotte event!
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- Manuel Campbell and Sam Smith
ASPIRE CEO Manuel Campbell and longtime associate and friend Sam Smith, Executive Director of GreenLight Fund Charlotte, grabbed a photo at GreenLight Fund Charlotte’s #EmpowerCharlotte Event on September 14th.
GreenLight Fund is a national nonprofit network matching local communities’ unmet needs with evidence-based social innovations. When ranked last among the 50 largest US cities for upward mobility, Charlotte created the Opportunity Task Force Report to address the history of racial and economic segregation that has deepened the opportunity gap. Despite progress toward a more inclusive community, many long standing barriers remain, exacerbating the divide in Charlotte. That’s where GreenLight comes in: Investing in proven organizations to bring to Charlotte to address community-identified needs.
ASPIRE’s CBA Continues with business modeling exercises.
The pictures above show Model 1 of the CBA class Tuesday, September 19th. The 20 entrepreneurs in Fall ’23 identified their strengths and discussed how they can better use their strengths and the strengths of others to grow their businesses.
Manuel Campbell attends Ronnie L. Bryant’s RLB Leadership Academy!
ASPIRE CEO Manuel Campbell joined ASPIRE’s Founding Board Chair, Ronnie L. Bryant, in his new program called the RLB Leadership Academy which started this 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.
ASPIRE prepares for a Headquarters Grand Opening with Donovan Dunlap of Donovan’s Balloon Service!
If you’ve ever been to an ASPIRE event, you likely remember the AMAZING balloon displays!! Donovan Dunlap of Donovan’s Balloon Service is ASPIRE’s essential “goto” for all of our in person events, with balloon displays that take an ordinary event into a memorable celebration. This time, we brought Donovan into the new ASPIRE Headquarters to prepare for our upcoming Grand Opening Celebration! Stay tuned for more on that event– we can’t wait to launch our amazing in person space! Learn more about Donovan’s Balloon Service here.
ASPIRE meets with Nick Halmrast!
ASPIRE had a great connection meeting with Nick Halmrast, the Charlotte Regional Representative of one of North Carolina’s US Senators at the ASPIRE headquarters! We had a great discussion about the impact of entrepreneurship on economic development in the state.
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.