By Shelby Reynolds  – Reporter, Wichita Business Journal

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Christina Long has a vision for entrepreneurship in Wichita.

That minority-owned small businesses have better access to capital and resources.

That young African American and Latino children learn at an early age that there are career paths in STEM and entrepreneurship.

That every contractor — no matter the color of their skin — has the same access to the projects that are moving Wichita forward.

"I want to create a campus, a true campus and hub where this is a signature place for people to come and feel empowered as diverse entrepreneurs," said Long, founder of urban entrepreneur advocacy organization Create Campaign Inc.

That hub launched earlier this month.

By KSN News

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WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Founders Grove, an area designed to empower urban entrepreneurs, held it’s grand opening today in northeast Wichita.

Nearly all the work done to prepare the building was done by minority owned companies.

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Read more via KSN.

by: Jasmine Haynes

Posted: Nov 13, 2019 / 12:14 AM CST / Updated: Nov 13, 2019 / 06:27 AM CST

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WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Christina Long shows off the lobby area inside Founders Grove a newly formed entrepreneurial hub.

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“Founders Grove exists to empower urban entrepreneurs in the cities urban core,” said Christina Long, President & CEO of Create Campaign, Inc. “What we’re wanting to do is really create a space where people can come and learn how to be entrepreneurs. How to start and grow their business.”

In three-and-a-half months, thanks to sponsors and funds from the City of Wichita’s District 1 Hyatt Fund, the donated Commerce Bank building has been transformed into small and large conference rooms and office spaces.

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“This is a space where people can go not only to talk about their dreams but to make their dreams happen,” said Long.

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Read and view story via KSN.

By MYA ACOSTA

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Founders’ Grove, a new shared office space, opened Wednesday.

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Create Campaign is the nonprofit organization that will maintain the office spaces. It says its mission is to serve as a hub for African-American and Latino entrepreneurship growth and business development.

The organization began in 2015 as a partnership with the Entrepreneurship Task Force and has grown into a standalone organization that operates in Wichita and Kansas City.

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Read more via KMUW.

By Glen Sharp, The Community Voice

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Founders’ Grove has nearly completed its transformation into an entrepreneurship hub at the corner of 21st Street and Grove, with just a bit more work to do ahead of its grand opening ceremony at 10 a.m. Wed., Nov. 13.

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It’s been a year since Commerce Bank announced it would close its longtime northeast Wichita branch and turn over the 2,300-square-foot building to several non-profit community groups: Create Campaign Inc., which boosts urban entrepreneurs; the Heartland Black Chamber of Commerce; and Camp Destination Innovation Inc., a career-development program for teens (Marquetta Atkins, founder). Those groups have been joined by the mentorship program Real Men Real Heroes (Kyle Ellison, executive director).

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Just as important, Founders Grove will offer affordable work and meeting space to local entrepreneurs with slim budgets.

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Read more via The Community Voice

Create Campaign, Inc. releases the save the date for the grand opening of Founders' Grove. 

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Details: 

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

10 a.m.

Founders' Grove, 2333 E. 21st Street N.

Free and open to the public; come-and-go following remarks

Create Campaign, Inc. is one of 13 organizations to receive the first awards from the Evergy Community Investment Fund, according to the Wichita Community Foundation. 

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The Evergy Community Investment Fund at WCF is granting $376,100 total to 13 Wichita nonprofits serving zip codes 67208, 67214 and 67219. The funded projects will support either community and environment enhancement or youth enrichment and development.

“These initiatives will impact Northeast Wichita for years to come,” said WCF President and CEO Shelly Prichard. “Community and environment enhancement paired with youth development are key drivers for the city’s growth.”

Read the entire Wichita Community Foundation announcement here. 

"Entrepreneurship is difficult no matter who you are," Long says.

The difficulty is compounded by the historical context of race. From slavery to Jim Crow, African-Americans and other minorities have had a tougher time in America building a strong enough economic base to create new businesses and wealth.

"We know in this country, to be able to have a home, to be able to build equity, and to leave that to the next generation, that matters in terms of creating and developing an economic base," Long says. "There's all these different factors and barriers that create the context as to why our rates in business ownership look differently than others."

“Our goal is not just to be able to talk about how exciting entrepreneurship is in Wichita, but to make it more accessible to people,” Long said. “This building will be an accessible point of entry and a place where people will be able to find resources.”

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Commerce Bank Announces Changes to Northeast Branch

Community service organizations to call branch home in 2019

Wichita, Kan. (November 13, 2018) – Commerce Bank announced today that its Northeast branch located at 21st Street and Grove (2333 E. 21st Street N) will become the new home of three community service organizations in January 2019. The three organizations that will be operating in the former bank building are:

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• Create Campaign, Inc. – Began as an event in 2015 in partnership with the Entrepreneurship Task Force and has now grown to a standalone organization in Wichita and Kansas City, Kansas.

• Heartland Black Chamber of Commerce – Focuses on the growth and development of African American-owned businesses.

• Camp Destination Innovation, Inc. – Teaches entrepreneurial and life skills to students ages 14- 18 years old.

“It’s never an easy decision to close a branch,” said Monte Cook, CEO and president of Commerce Bank in Wichita. “However, we believe the organizations moving into the space will make a lasting impact on our community by providing training and mentoring services to current and future business leaders.”

“It’s never an easy decision to close a branch,” said Monte Cook, CEO and president of Commerce Bank in Wichita. “However, we believe the organizations moving into the space will make a lasting impact on our community by providing training and mentoring services to current and future business leaders.”

Commerce Bank opened the Northeast branch in 1997 with a three-lane drive-thru and ATM. The fullservice ATM will remain in place but will be relocated to the drive-thru area to ensure customer accessibility. “Making this announcement during Global Entrepreneurship Week (Nov. 12-16) allows us to celebrate the opportunities that are right here in Wichita and help more people reach their potential,” said Christina Long, founder of Create Campaign, Inc. and future owner of the building. “Our goal is to provide a centralized place for young people, entrepreneurs and established business leaders to come together to make Wichita a great place to develop and grow business. We call it Founders’ Grove.”

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Founders’ Grove is a partnership between Create Campaign, Inc., Heartland Black Chamber of Commerce and Camp Destination Innovation, Inc. that offers a comprehensive stepping stone approach to development and progression in their respective areas. Camp Destination Innovation, Inc. mentors youth interested in business, science and technology. Create Campaign, Inc., helps entrepreneurs navigate through start-up plans and logistics. Heartland Black Chamber of Commerce is a good source to help provide real-world business mentors to youth and entrepreneurs. Altogether, the organizations currently serve approximately 400 people in the Wichita community. “At the Heartland Black Chamber of Commerce, we are committed to grooming leaders by providing guidance, training and sustaining companies so they can succeed,” said Greg Cole, president of the Wichita Chapter of the Heartland Black Chamber of Commerce. “Our partnership with Create Campaign and Camp Destination Innovation will provide our chamber membership with opportunities to learn new technologies and collaborate with new generations of the workforce.” Camp Destination Innovation exposes youth to careers outside of traditional norms with an emphasis on STEAM and entrepreneurship.

“Our youth are the best investment we can make and yields the best returns,” said Marquetta Atkins, founder of Camp Destination Innovation, Inc. “They are our future, and we need to show them that their dreams and aspirations can be achieved right here in Wichita, and that’s what we can do now with the partnership between our three organizations.”

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Commerce Bank executives collaborated with City Councilman Brandon Johnson on the vision for the building.

“These are three amazing organizations that are focusing on the tough work of growing and supporting entrepreneurs and small business in our City. In their own right, they are making a real impact, but being together under one roof to become a one-stop shop to make an individual’s American dream become reality is life changing,” said Johnson. “Great things happen when corporations, cities and service organizations come together to serve the community, and we’re excited to see how this partnership will help develop our citizens.”

The final day for Commerce Bank to occupy the building is Friday, December 28, 2018. Commerce Bank’s employees at the Northeast branch will be reassigned to other locations in Wichita. About Commerce Bank Commerce Bank, is a subsidiary of Commerce Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBSH), a $25.1 billion regional bank holding company, as of September 30, 2018. For more than 150 years, Commerce has been meeting the financial services needs of individuals and businesses. Commerce provides a full range of financial products to consumer and commercial customers, including personal banking, lending, mortgage banking, wealth management, brokerage and capital markets services. Commerce operates in approximately 330 locations in the central United States and has a nationwide presence in the commercial payments industry.

For additional information, please visit www.commercebank.com.

Create Campaign, Inc. is pleased to collaborate with the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce as we welcome Dell Gines of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City to Wichita to share important findings related to African-American women in entrepreneurship. 

Gines, who held a multi-city focus group effort that included Wichita, will share research at his event, "How to Support Wichita's Black Women-Owned Businesses." The event is scheduled for Thursday, August 16 from Noon to 2 p.m. at the Atwater Neighborhood Resource Center, 2755 E. 19th St. N. Lunch will be provided. The event is free and open to the public but registration is required to attend.

Highlights will be shared from the new national report, Black Women Business Startups.

Raquel Ramirez could be among the first to receive a low-interest loan from a new fund aimed at helping local small businesses grow. The Create Capital Fund, launched with a $25,000 grant from Fidelity Bank's new Bravely Onward Fund at the Wichita Community Foundation, aims to provide loans of between $2,500 and $25,000 specifically to minority owned businesses.

"It means a lot," she said of the Create fund. "There's so much I could do that I can't do without it."

On the heels of a combined $1 million gift to Wichita State University’s Shock the World campaign in February of this year, Fidelity Bank announced an additional $1 million in community investment, with gifts aimed at accelerating entrepreneurial activity and community betterment.

Half of the additional investment has gone to establish a $500,000 Bravely Onward Fund at the Wichita Community Foundation, which provides grant funding to non-profits with programs serving current or aspiring entrepreneurs. The first Bravely Onward Fund contribution is a $25,000 grant for the Create Campaign’s newly formed Create Capital Fund, and includes the opportunity for an additional $100,000 in matching funds.

“Reclaiming Wichita’s entrepreneurial heritage is important to ensuring long-term prosperity, not just in the business sector, but for all Wichitans,” said Aaron Bastian, president of Fidelity Bank. “The journey from idea to successful business is full of challenges and our intent is to invest in resources for entrepreneurs with the courage to chart their own course.”

The Create Capital Fund was established to foster a more equitable funding landscape by offering qualified minority-owned businesses $2,500 to $25,000 loans to fund purchases of equipment, inventory and supplies. This type of financing helps business owners from socially-disadvantaged groups build financially stable enterprises which support themselves, their employees and the overall community.

“The Bravely Onward Fund’s bold alliance with the Create Campaign paves the way for innovative solutions to systemic challenges facing minority entrepreneurs,” said Christina Long, president and CEO of Create Campaign, Inc. “Together, we will empower people in our community who are ripe for resources to solidify their entrepreneurial development.”

Fidelity Bank has also provided an additional $500,000 in funding to the Fidelity Bank Foundationto dramatically increase the funds available to support arts, education, human services and community betterment non-profit organizations. Originally founded in 1961 as the Bastian Foundation, the Fidelity Bank Foundation has a long history of community support in the Wichita community.

“There is so much good in our community—organizations and initiatives creating hope for those in need and lifting our community spirit,” said Clay Bastian, president of the Fidelity Bank Foundation. “Our desire is to always do more, and that is what we will do. We hope that inspires others.”

Get more information about the Create Capital Fund.

Apply for grant funding from the Fidelity Bank Foundation or Bravely Onward Fund.

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Source: Fidelity Bank

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Entrepreneurship happens everywhere—not just on the coasts. It happens in urban centers and rural communities, among tech innovators and in shops on Main Street. It happens from Seattle to San Juan, in Kansas and Iowa, and in Albuquerque, Kansas City and Loudoun County.

In fact, the Kauffman Foundation reports that more than 500,000 entrepreneurs start businesses every month, answering the call to improve lives, solve problems, drive innovation and pursue the American dream.

And we know that entrepreneurship is important.

Entrepreneurship has the power to improve lives and expand prosperity. Entrepreneurship creates jobs. New businesses account for nearly all net new job creation and almost 20 percent of gross job creation. And if we truly want to get to where we want to grow as a community and a country, we’ll need to tap the potential of all of our dreamers and innovators to solve pressing local, national and global problems.

And yet, we also know that we have work to do to level the playing field for underrepresented entrepreneurs—including women and people of color.

Q&A with Create Campaign Founder, Christina Long

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The 2012 Survey of Business Owners shows the average African-American business in Kansas has sales seven times lower than the average white-owned business and employs just a third of the employees of their white counterparts. African-American businesses also are underrepresented relative to their population percentage in the state.

What Is the Create Campaign?

Where to start.

2016 was a year to remember for Wichita. Several initiatives launched. Several moments were celebrated. Several successes highlighted.

Like they say, there’s no such thing as an overnight success. The strides made in Wichita throughout 2016 didn’t just happen. They were a result of late nights at the office, early morning coffees and people gathering around conference room tables striving to make a difference in their hometown.

Most can recall the days when Wichita was a thriving business community with a swagger not seen elsewhere, but somewhere along the way, we lost it. We lost our sense of victory, or so we thought.

Congrats to CREATE Campaign, E2E Accelerator, Inc. and Junior Achievement of Kansas, who were awarded $1,500 each to work on increasing venture capital and driving job creation innovation through the #ThrowbackThirty Round Three: Entrepreneurial grant competition. Create Campaign will use the grant to add another programmatic element to their program. E2E's grant contributes to the valuation program and assessment and Junior Achievement will expand their program to three additional classrooms.

For more information on the quarterly contest, visit our #ThrowbackThirty page.

While attending Wichita State University in the early 1980s, Debra Lynn Washington and her tired fingers had an epiphany.

“I was typing papers for the entire football team back in 1982,” Washington said. “Eventually, I thought ‘Hey, if I’m going to do this, I might as well get paid for it.’ ”

Not long after, what is now known as Deb’s Creative Services was born. Washington has run the graphic design and professional document company out of her home as a second job for more than three decades, long outlasting the WSU football program in the process.

Washington is one of about 30 African-American entrepreneurs – or those interested in becoming entrepreneurs – planning to attend an event on Saturday called “Create Campaign,” an initiative of the Entrepreneurship Task Force, which was born of the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Council.