Corner to Corner

We talk a lot about “turning business dreams into money-making realities” through our entrepreneurial program, The Academy. And we’ve had over 1,200 entrepreneurs graduate from that program, with Academy Alumni putting $27.9 million back into the Nashville economy in 2023 alone. 💰 Those are BIG numbers. Those are the high-level stats. Yet a lot of the magic of The Academy happens on an individual level - one business, one entrepreneur, one dream. ✨ Like Kayla Hall. She had a vision months ago that she’d ring the NY Stock Exchange bell this year 🔔 She even texted our co-founder, Will, about it back in March! Today, that dream became a reality! 🤩 And The Academy is a part of her story, a piece of turning that dream into something she’ll tell new generations of entrepreneurs about. Kayla is an active Academy Alumna - 🤗 she’s facilitated classes of The Academy 🤓 participated in our continued learning opportunities 😎 and is currently in NY with Goldman Sachs through Corner to Corner’s partnership with their #OneMillionBlackWomen initiative. And we are beyond proud (and honored!) to be a part of her inspiring entrepreneurship journey 🎉 Make sure you check out The City Juicery and grab a delicious, FRESH juice from her new brick-and-mortar in Nashville 🧃

Sounds about right! We are seeing Black-owned businesses drive economic growth in Nashville every day via The Academy 👏🏾

Mark your calendars for September 11th - we're co-hosting a Black Founder Meet up during LaunchTN's 3686 conference for entrepreneurs! There are so many incredible resources at this event - we hope to see y'all there!

"Did you know a median Black family has one-tenth the wealth of a median white family, with a higher rate of downward mobility? On this week's episode of #SignatureRequired, we’re diving into many issues with Will Acuff, the co-founder of the nonprofit powerhouse Corner to Corner." Will's back at it again with another incredible podcast episode, introducing new neighbors to the "best kept secret in Nashville": Corner to Corner! 😂 "Their mission? To empower entrepreneurs with the tools, knowledge, and networks they need to bring their business ideas to life and start generating income quickly. The impact is real: over 1,200 entrepreneurs have graduated from their program, contributing a staggering $27.9 million to the Nashville economy as of 2023. Tune in to hear how Corner to Corner is transforming lives and communities, one business at a time." 💚 Give the episode a listen by clicking the link below! https://lnkd.in/gXe25YMu

The largest global cross-sector innovation conference = RALLY, downtown Indianapolis, has broadened my entrepreneurial ecosystem with so many new connections, experts, and innovators. This event is a must attend for years to come. Corner to Corner leadership Shana Berkeley and co-founder Will Acuff from Nashville, TN visited P30 Indy to cross-pollinate our community centered designed, entrepreneur and innovator friendly spaces - we met via Rally! Thank you Christopher (Toph) Day, Emil Ekiyor, INNOPOWER MINORITY BUSINESS WEEK, Indiana Economic Development Corporation, Elevate Ventures and so many more for making this possible in Indiana!

Having a wonderful time getting encouraged, inspired, and learning from the incredible leaders at INNOPOWER MINORITY BUSINESS WEEK. Emil Ekiyor has an incredible vision for economic equity that he is implementing with tremendous skill and passion. Super fun energy to be around. Pumped to bring some new ideas back to Nashville and Corner to Corner

Can't wait to hear our co-founder and ED share the story of Corner to Corner at the quickly approaching INNOPOWER MINORITY BUSINESS WEEK! If you're near Indianapolis, come say hi to Will and Shana! <3

Did you know that there is a direct correlation between wealth and business development? The Brookings Institution and many other national studies have found this to be true, and The Academy has seen this correlation right here in Nashville. In the C2C Live segment of The Corner to Corner Show, we talked about the 1,200+ graduates we have from The Academy. But today, let’s talk about one. Melanie McGee. Melanie has an amazing food business called Something to Eat. She is a school teacher of almost 20 years and has facilitated for The Academy for multiple cohorts. You see, the beauty of having a facilitator like Melanie is that she knows how to relate to entrepreneurs in The Academy. She's been in their shoes before! She knows how to accomplish the goals that new businesses are aiming for, she knows where to go when you don’t have all the answers, and she models how to pivot your business in order to create the business of your dreams. Her goal for last year was to add $20k of income through Something to Eat. Not only did she meet that goal - she exceeded it! This is in part because of The Academy and the Academy Alumni services that provide knowledge, tools, and networks to our entrepreneurs. But this accomplishment is also because of Melanie. Melanie set a goal and was dedicated to moving toward it in her own way and on her own terms. Betting on herself and choosing to push toward the dream for herself and for her family. This is true wealth. And for Melanie and other entrepreneurs like her to continue to experience this kind of wealth, we, as a Nashville community, MADE a choice. A different choice. A better one. One that actively pushes for equity in entrepreneurship. We realized that as the economy has expanded, especially in Nashville, Black business growth in revenue/size did not come at the expense of non-Black businesses. Because we all know that business is not a pie, but the ocean. There is enough for anyone who wants it! We need to continue to push for Black business growth in Nashville so that we can be a community to be proud of. If this sounds exciting to you and you are interested in learning more and supporting our mission, watch our latest episodes of The Corner to Corner Show, online at CornerToCorner.org/News

Want to know a crazy stat? 🤯 The Nonprofit Finance Fund said, “that only 32% of nonprofits are led by those with lived experience representative of one or more of the communities their organizations serve.” In other words, only 32% of nonprofits are led by people who actually experience the problem that their nonprofit is trying to solve. Without that feedback from your own experience and the engagement of your community, how do you know if you are moving toward your goal in tandem? We've never really thought about it. 🤷🏾♀️ Corner to Corner's Executive Director is Shana, who graduated from The Academy in 2017, and a lot of other Academy Alumni are on our staff, too! In fact, every person who works for The Academy has graduated from the program themselves. 🎓 That’s because it’s vital to our organization to be led by those who have lived that experience. ⭐ The value of that cannot be overstated. ⭐ 👉🏾 We are looking for neighbors who want to donate to an organization that... ❤️ prioritizes historically underestimated entrepreneurs 💚 puts millions of dollars back into the local Nashville economy ❤️ has fun fundraisers like Christmas in August We are looking for neighbors who are ready to donate to Corner to Corner! 💸 Join our brand new giving programs that invest your local dollars into local entrepreneurs, helping them flourish on their own terms. BONUS: If you sign up before August 12th, you'll be entered in a raffle to win one of our prizes Christmas in August gift boxes, full of treats from a handful of our Academy Alumni's businesses! 🎁 🎄 Get in on the fun: https://lnkd.in/gH34dnBb