Charlotte, North Carolina, is expanding support for Black-owned businesses with a new project led by Cathay Dawkins and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Black Chamber of Commerce.
According to The Charlotte Observer, the chamber purchased an unused property and is turning it into the Innovation Center, a hub described as a “one-stop shop for professionals and small businesses.” The space will support entrepreneurs, encourage economic growth, and address food insecurity.
The Innovation Center will include an agri-tech program, event and co-working spaces, a retail store, and a distribution center for small businesses. Dawkins visited similar hubs in Atlanta, Washington D.C., and Durham to shape the plan for Charlotte.
“As things in the community get taken away, like federal funding and grants, we want to be a safe space,” Dawkins said.
The chamber spent $30,000 on the property and is raising $3.7 million for renovations. Advisors Kneshia Gabriel and Jeremy Johnson say the space has long been needed in the region.
“Charlotte is evolving,” the project’s Give Butter fundraiser states. “The Innovation Center CLT is a bold response, designed to close the gap, elevate ideas, and drive inclusive innovation.”
