Create Columbus Commission Announces Funding for Young Professional Initiatives
For Immediate Release
July 23, 2014
For More Information:
John Ivanic, City Council, 614-645-6798
Tyler Durbin, Create
Columbus Commission, 740-501-0350
The Create Columbus Commission is pleased to announce the recipients of the organization’s 2014 grants. Create Columbus received more than $460,000 in requested support, ultimately awarding a total of $82,000 to 11 programs that advance the interests of young professionals in Columbus.
“Thanks to support from the City of Columbus and the Columbus Foundation, Create Columbus was able to expand the footprint of our grant program by reaching new demographics, new neighborhoods, and emerging YP interests in Columbus”, said Kevin Tyler, Chair of the Create Columbus Commission.
The awarded programs will support a diverse range of YP interests, including physical and mental health, fashion, entrepreneurship, and mentorship programs.
“For the second year in a row, the Create Columbus Commission has selected an impressive list of initiatives that align with the City’s goals to create a smart, open, and vibrant community for young professionals,” said Mayor Michael B. Coleman. “These projects have the potential to impact our community in a positive way, and I look forward to seeing the results throughout the city.”
The 2014 recipients demonstrated a strong ability to encourage and support residents to launch innovative, community-based programs that move the needle on Columbus’ effort to become the nation’s #1 place for young professionals to live, work, and play.
“Create Columbus grants support talented and creative young professionals who are committed to serving their community,” said Columbus City Council President Andrew J. Ginther. “Grant recipients have made and will continue to make a positive and lasting impact in neighborhoods across our city.”
In the second year of the grant program, Create Columbus expanded the program’s impact with increased support from the City of Columbus and the addition of funds from the Columbus Foundation.
“The Columbus Foundation is pleased to support the grant-making efforts of the Create Columbus Commission. Supporting ideas and opportunities such as these keeps Columbus smart and open while helping young professionals and our community thrive,” said Dan Sharpe, Grants Management Officer with the Columbus Foundation.
The following are summaries of the 2014 Create Columbus grant recipients.
2x2 Partnership - $7,000
The 2x2 Partnership is a collaboration of the Columbus Idea Foundry and the Columbus College of Art and Design Mind Market incubator. The 2x2 Partnership will provide Columbus young professionals a forum for connecting with other entrepreneurs as well as teaching skills to launch or grow their small businesses. Each session will feature four active learning events with expert mentors.
25 on High: Photographic Journey - $2,750
OSU’s Urban Art Space exhibition of approximately 125 documentary photographs taken between 2012 and 2014 captures the psychological, physical, and emotional condition of High Street during a period of rapid change. Focusing on the contemporary faces of High Street, this exhibition will highlight the diversity and vibrancy of Columbus’ population and central, urban neighborhoods while acting as a record of the people, popular culture, and built environment of today.
Art of Business Workshop Series for Young Professional Artists - $3,600
Wild Goose Creative will host monthly workshops from October 2014 to March 2015 to help young professional artists with professional development, art entrepreneurship and network building. Wild Goose Creative is a catalyst and a gathering place for local artists, audiences, and creative people; and this workshop will prepare young artists to turn their artistic passion into an economic opportunity.
Building Healthy Columbus - $6,900
Building Healthy Columbus is an initiative led by the Young Leaders Group of the Urban Land Institute to create a whitepaper about the health and wellness in the Columbus region. Specifically, ULI will leverage the report’s findings to initiate discussions between developers, the real estate community, and young professionals to promote healthy living in Columbus neighborhoods.
Columbus Social Entrepreneur Launchpad - $7,500
Starfish Alliance is partnering with Brioso Coffee and the Economic Community Development Institute (ECDI) to create a program for local young people who have exceeded the age requirements of the foster program. Create Columbus funds will be used to support start-up costs of a training space in a coffee bar in the Discovery District and a coffee mini-shop, staffed by foster alumni in the Franklinton Arts District.
E! Columbus - $9,000
E:Columbus is a group of entrepreneurs from all walks of life and industries formed to provide innovative resources and support to lead to entrepreneurship opportunities for those with limited resources. E! Columbus focuses on providing support for social enterprises that are created to address a social need in Columbus. E! Columbus will feature events that include business development workshops and offerings, a “barter bank” where entrepreneurs can formally trade services, and a website and social media plan complete with marketing materials to support the organization and it’s members.
FABRIC Columbus - $10,000
Columbus-based fashion advocacy group, Alternative Fashion Mob, has received funds to open FABRIC Columbus, a storefront dedicated to local fashion designers' and their clothing lines. The FABRIC Columbus space will also feature workstations for young designers, a client/buyer meeting room, and other resources to help young fashion designers run their own small businesses.
Give Back Hack - $10,000
GiveBackHack is an event where young professionals in the community pitch and work on community solutions that make Columbus a better place to live, work and play. The event kicks-off on a Friday night and spans 54 frantic, fun, energizing, entrepreneurial hours where ideas become realities in the form of vetted sustainable business models and working products.
HighBall Halloween Community Headquarters & Workshop Space - $10,000
The Short North Alliance is leveraging Create Columbus funding to create a seasonal pop-up space in the Short North Arts District that is part young professional social space, part shopping experience, and part educational community center.
Utilizing an empty storefront in the neighborhood, HIGHBALL HEADQUARTERS (HBHQ) will become the central gathering point to help mobilize Columbus’s young professional community and the Short North Arts District’s preparations for an entire month leading up to HighBall Halloween.
Latina Mentoring Academy - $5,250
The Hispanic Chamber of Columbus hosts the Latina Mentoring Academy, which is designed to meet the needs of Latina women working towards advancing their careers in business or entrepreneurial endeavors. The academy brings together Latinas at all stages of their careers for a unique professional development experience combining culturally relevant workshops and professional mentorship.
Opening Our Doors to Mental Health: Alzheimer’s - $10,000
Opening Our Doors to Mental Health is a feature-length film by young creatives documenting the experience of young people as caregivers for a loved-one challenged with mental illness. The goal is to remove the stigma of mental health to focus on coming together as a community to implore Columbus’ resources to create a community rich in mental health.
About Create Columbus
The Create Columbus Commission (Create Columbus) is a board of 30 young professionals (YP), appointed and funded by the Mayor and City Council President to serve as the community’s foremost thought leader on young professional interests, experiences, and priorities. Through strategic community building efforts and a targeted YP grants program, the CCC strives to make Columbus the nation’s number one place for YPs to live, work, and play.