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VELOCITY
[About Velocity]
Welcome to the Velocity Creative Accelerator

The Center for Creative Economy has hosted a creative accelerator annually since 2016.

Hit the gas on your startup! 

The Velocity business accelerator helps entrepreneurs develop viable businesses rooted in creativity. This 10-week, cohort-based program includes a robust curriculum (with in-person and remote options), skilled facilitators, and a customized mentor team of subject matter experts from every business discipline. Master business basics, solidify your positioning, and refine your pitch for a chance to win a $25k interest-free loan with no equity taken. 

There is no cost to apply. If selected, the fee for participants is $995. The fee will cover the cost of the 10-week course, workbooks, access to mentors, meals and accommodations for Kick-off Weekend (Sep. 8 – 11) and Velocity Week (Oct. 30th – Nov. 4th) in Winston-Salem, NC.

FAQ
[Fabulous & Amazing]
Questions

Velocity is designed to help businesses develop the high impact business skills necessary to launch and grow a creative venture.

In 2019, CCE partnered with Chris Mumford of Kenan Flagler Business School at UNC-Chapel Hill. Chris is a serial entrepreneur with years of experience supporting startups.

Who Should Apply?

Velocity is FOR:

  • A creative team of one or more
  • Creatives with initial customer base and identifiable value
  • Creative businesses that solve a problem
  • Creatives building a new user experience
  • Creative entrepreneurs building a prototype or “ready to launch”
  • Creatives with product on the market and a goal of soaring
  • Creative entrepreneurs ready to scale their business

Why Velocity?

Teams will learn how to:

  • Focus and refine their creative business model
  • Research and analyze the market, competition and industry your business is in
  • Prepare financial forecasts and budgets
  • Construct your marketing, operations and launch plans
  • Build the right team
  • Develop a pitch for seed stage capital from investors

The Curriculum

Velocity brings together a great curriculum, industry expertise, and mentors to develop the best version of your business and get traction in the market.

In collaboration with Chris Mumford, founder of the Joe Startup Entrepreneurial Curriculum and Velocity guest faculty, content and workshops have been tailored to accelerate your creative business.

The curriculum covers 24 business modules that are organized around the themes, “Think, Create, Tell, and Run.”  You will learn via video, a customized workbook, and a weekly workshop led by creative industry professionals. Each startup team will regularly connect with mentors to flesh out the concepts presented in the workshops, and put them into practice.

[Oct. 30th - Nov. 4nd]
Velocity Week
  • Workshops
  • One-on-one Mentoring
  • Demo Day – thursday
WINSTON
[The City Of Arts and Innovation]
Why Winston-Salem?

Winston-Salem is home to a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem, that welcomes creativity and innovation. The Center for Creative Economy partners with Winston Starts, Flywheel, Greater Winston-Salem Inc., Agile City, and HUSTLE Winston-Salem. There’s a growing synergy throughout Winston-Salem that embraces creative entrepreneurs as part of the robust economy.

FOCUS
[Creative Industries]
A Creative Focus

There is a special focus on Art and Health, Culinary, Augmented and Virtual Reality, Design, and Education Tech. However, all creative companies in the industries below are encouraged to apply:

  • 3D Printing
  • Advertising
  • Art & Health
  • Animation
  • Animatronics
  • Apparel & Textiles
  • Apps (creative industries)
  • Architecture
  • Augmented & Virtual Reality
  • Beauty
  • Content Strategy
  • Crafts & Artisan
  • Creative Concept Development
  • Creative Health Tech
  • Creative Services
  • Creative Tech & Software
  • Culinary
  • Data Visualization
  • Educational Tech
  • Fashion
  • Film
  • Food & Beverage
  • Graphic Design
  • Health and Wellness
  • Healthcare Support Tools
  • Industrial Design
  • Music
  • Performing Arts
  • Photography
  • Planning & Project Mgmt
  • Podcasting
  • Product Design
  • Publishing
  • Studio & Fine Arts
  • Theater Production
  • Toys & Games
  • TV & Film
  • Video Games
  • Video Production
  • Virtual Reality
Accelerate
With a robust curriculum designed specifically for creative entrepreneurs, startups will develop skills to accelerate and scale their growth.
Mentoring
Velocity is mentor-driven. With 35+ mentors from all over North Carolina, the country, and worldwide, you and your startup can be easily matched with mentors in your industry and to meet your biggest needs.
Coffee Breaks + Networking
It's hard to learn things on an empty stomach. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and unlimited tea and coffee are all part of the ticket price. Breaks offer a great opportunity to further connect with other startups and mentors.
Sponsors
[Sponsors & Partners]
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Velocity’s content and events are powered by CCE and these generous sponsors and partners.