Stories

SHARE Charlotte #SpotlightonCLT Social Entrepreneurship

#SpotlightOnCLT is SHARE Charlotte’s monthly content series that highlights a different cause or issue each month. This series allows us to explore the crucial work being done in that particular arena by our local nonprofit partners. It is one way that we shine a light on various causes to educate the community and explore the given topic through the lens of the nonprofit community- breaking down who does what and how to get involved.

This month we are leading a conversation about social entrepreneurship. We will be highlighting our nonprofit partners who focus on teaching entrepreneurship to community members who would not otherwise have access to these opportunities and/or have a social enterprise as part of their mission.

Over the past several years millions of Americans launched businesses. Entrepreneurs are seeing huge opportunities for social impact and funders are looking to join forces to help propel real change. (source) It's no different here in Charlotte. We've pulled together a powerful list of nonprofits who are supporting entrepreneurship, business skills, leadership skills, home-based business start up, and youth entrepreneur encouragement.

Stay with us all month long on social media as we explore these nonprofits, share inspiring stories, and illustrate how you can get involved.

Know a rising entrepreneur? Share this story with them today!

SHARE Charlotte's Guide to Social Enterprise 

BBOC - Hosting quarterly member + business development meetings as well as major events that drive over $7 million a year to Black-owned businesses.

ZABS Place - Operating a unique thrift boutique and furniture shop, leveraging it as a dynamic platform for their comprehensive job training program. 

BraveWorks - BraveWorks teaches skills in crafting and jewelry making to women overcoming trauma and injustice. Artisans learn transferable skills and emerge from the program with confidence to help their employment or craft business journey.

Community Culinary School of Charlotte - Students develop a personalized plan for success during training. CCSC helps place students at a culinary organization and help connect to mentors if they have ambitions to start their own home-based or food truck business.

Money Magnets Club - Tapping into the whimsy and wonder of the youngest among us to bring entrepreneurship and financial literacy vocabulary to the big dreams and ideas of elementary school kids.

Hack & Hustle Social Entrepreneurship Academy - Students develop new products or services that can solve a problem in the community. Hack & Hustle helps develop the entrepreneurial pitch to present to a panel of judges for monetary prizes.

Freedom In Me Business Showers - Business coaching and training services in marketing, finance, strategic goal setting, operational planning, and more.

Latin American Coalition - Offers various programs, resources, and workshops that empower and assist Latinx and immigrant entrepreneurs in Charlotte.

Launched For Life - Residential summer camp for kids called Camp BizLIFE as well as the recently launched Wiggins Institute of Entrepreneurship & Life Development (WIELD). Equipping young adults to unleash their entrepreneurship potential!

Stiletto Boss University - Business foundations of entrepreneurship, leadership skills, and community impact through the values of sisterhood, collaboration, and sustainability.

Exposure Project - Providing shadowing opportunities for middle and high school youth through community partnerships.

The Park Community Development Corporation - Through its Economic Mobility programs, The Park CDC supports the West Charlotte community by helping to increase financial literacy, provide tools and resources for asset building, and advance minority entrepreneurship.

City Startup Labs - Developing entrepreneurial talent and capacity as an innovative approach to workforce development. As an entrepreneurial support organization (ESO), CSL isn’t solely nor primarily focused on enterprise deployment, but rather they're in the human potential business, focusing on those who have often been on the periphery of any opportunity to express their full entrepreneurial capabilities and value.

Charlotte New Music - Serving music and multi-disciplinary artists by creating opportunities to work and have ownership in high-quality products that move (in more ways than one!).