Entrepreneurship

Idea Incubator

The ArtUp Idea Incubator provides experience, instruction, support, and mentorship to budding creative entrepreneurs whose business ideas can produce transformative economic effects in their neighborhoods. We call these innovative creatives Fellows. 


In the end, Fellows leave with a well-designed strategic plan for growing their idea into a fully-sustainable business. They will also leave with a polished pitch and pitch deck, which they will present at the program's Pitch Day, in front of a diverse group of potential investors, fiscal sponsors and other key members of the community. ArtUp has already conducted four Incubators with residents and artists from other Memphis neighborhoods, including Orange Mound, Soulsville, Binghampton, and South City. This year's focus on North Memphis was generously supported by the Neighborhood Collaborative for Resilience, an initiative of the nation-wide SPARCC (Strong, Prosperous, and Resilient Communities Challenge) fundraising campaign. The $25,000 grant will support 10 Fellows in the Incubator at $2,500 each.


The Incubator also has proven its value nationally. In 2016, it won the Robert E. Gard Award from Americans for the Arts.

And in both 2016 and 2017, it received grant support from The National Endowment for the Arts.


As ArtUp Fellows, creative entrepreneurs will learn to develop their ideas into viable, sustainable businesses.

We help creatives develop a firm sense of the scope of their businesses using four proven methods:

Capital


Each fellow receives startup funds and a business checking account to support their expenses and business growth during the Incubator. This assures them that they can take themselves seriously as entrepreneurs, utilizing the creative economy as a viable means to addressing cycles of poverty.

Curriculum


Fellows learn how to create a sustainable creative enterprise through deep dive sessions to clearly define their business idea, and gain business, financial planning, marketing skills, and more. Throughout, they remain dedicated to having a measurable impact in the local economy.



Coaching


Fellows meet weekly with coaches — incubator alumni and practicing entrepreneurs — and learn from specialized faculty to gain experience, instruction, support, and mentorship as they navigate entrepreneurship while creating lasting, transformative effects in their neighborhoods.



Catalytic Moments


Fellows take excursions to witness firsthand how creative enterprises nearby and in cities across the country are making change in their communities. Previous fellows cohorts have traveled to experience the impact of creative entrepreneurship in such cities as Chicago, Newark, Boston, Brooklyn and Charlotte.


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