City Startup Labs ~ Year in Review
2024 in Review Organization Milestones and Achievements Moved from UNCC to CPCC in February Hired Margaret Velez as Program Manager Hired Shaheedah Ross as Program Administrator Held Inaugural Staff Retreat 2nd Annual Board Retreat Implemented robust data collection and tracking efforts with Queens University Completed data security project and implementation 10 Years of Impact Report […]
It’s Our Anniversary!
https://youtu.be/eJBwtjWRv-U In January 2014, I set out to chart a course to reimagine young Black men as a new class of entrepreneurs. Starting with 17 hand-picked and eager founders, the support of the Urban League and the backing of the Rockefeller Foundation, the City Startup Labs (CSL) experiment was launched. From those very humble beginnings […]
Expressions of Thanks – Annual Gratitude Newsletter
Gratitude is the attitude that changes everything. To be grateful for something is to see it and acknowledge it as a gift, even when the gift is not immediately apparent. City Startup Labs was launched ten years ago, this past January, with the idea of developing entrepreneurial talent and capacity within young Black men in Charlotte. […]
Ten Years of Impact
in support of those we are honored to serve
Another Class of New Healthcare Employees Our Workplace Readiness Program, Restorative Pathways, in partnership with Advocate/Atrium Health, kicks off a new cohort of nearly 20 participants on October 7th, 2024. This 5-week/100-hour training, is our 7th in Charlotte and is slated to graduate on November 8th, 2024. City Startup Labs selects justice-impacted individuals due to […]
Celebrating Black Philanthropy Month: A Living History of Mutual Aid and Triumph
The Birth of Mutual Aid Societies: Communities Taking Care of Their Own In the late 18th century, free and enslaved Black people in America faced a harsh reality: that formal societal structures excluded them. But out of this exclusion, the first Black Mutual Aid Societies were born. These societies were lifelines, channels of hope, and […]
INNOVATE & ELEVATE: JUNE 2024
City Startup Labs Hosts Successful ReEntry Entrepreneurship Program Pitch Event City Startup Labs (CSL) recently showcased the entrepreneurial talents of justice-impacted individuals at their ReEntry Entrepreneurship Program (REEP) Pitch Event. The event featured innovative business ideas developed by participants who have undergone extensive training in CSL’s comprehensive career development program. With support from Mecklenburg County, […]
An Entrepreneurial Flashback – Black Media’s Golden Age
As we wind down Small Business Month and acknowledge the accomplishments of the 21st Century’s entrepreneurial class, I’m reminded of era that has gone under-reported, but was likely one of the richest periods of Black business success that we ought to chronicle — one that I witnessed firsthand. From the early 1970’s through the late […]
Beyond Second Chances
Part I – The Prisoner Reentry Industry As we come to the end of Second Chance Month – initiated in 2017 by the Prison Fellowship, it should be noted that the United States has the highest rate of incarceration in the world. China – a “non-democratic” country with a population of 1.4 billion is often […]
Beyond the Escape Room: Discovering True Impact
Join us in commemorating a decade of transformative impact as City Startup Labs embarks on its REEP cohort journey at Central Piedmont Community College. From innovative problem-solving in escape rooms to honoring the indelible legacy of Women’s History Month, we pay homage to our roots, celebrate our achievements, and shine a spotlight on the inspiring […]