Month: July 2024

From Erasure to Empowerment: Reflections on AmbitioUS’s Southern Immersive Learning Journey

By Nyia Hawkins, Ambitio US Fellow

During the first week of June, the Ambitio US team, along with 20 aligned funders, Economic Trailblazer grantees, and movement leaders, set out on an ambitious (pun intended) learning journey across two Southern states. Reflecting on the sixth year of the Ambitio US initiative, we embarked on an immersive learning journey to strengthen philanthropy’s relationship infrastructure by exploring the patterns of erasure and exploitation at the root of our economic systems and highlighting efforts to shift cultural and structural approaches toward course correction and repair. As capital stewards, it is crucial to remember our economic roots, both the celebrated and those in need of making amends, to reimagine and invest in our collective future.

Our journey began in Montgomery, Alabama, a pivotal site in Black history and the Civil Rights Movement. On the first night, we gathered over a warm Southern dinner, setting intentions for the transformative journey ahead. The next day, we traveled to the ancestral lands of the Maskoke people at the Ekvn-Yefolecv eco-village. They shared their journey of reclaiming their environmental stewardship role by building a technologically innovative, culturally rich, and ecologically conscious community. We hopped into the back of pickup trucks, watched bison lumber through pastures, and sat down for farm-to-table meals. Many of the attendees described it as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The next morning, we visited the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), often called The Lynching Museum. We explored The Legacy Museum, The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, and the newly opened Freedom Monument Sculpture Park. This part of the tour helped provide historical context and a stark reminder of the enslavement of African peoples and the displacement and genocide of Native Americans, which are at the root of our economic system and the prison-industrial complex.

On Thursday morning, we took an 8-hour bus trip to North Carolina. Here, we toured several sites that are part of The Industrial Commons, a cooperative incubator in a rural area of Appalachia, that is helping to rebuild a working class based on locally rooted wealth. In a region that lost 85% of its textile jobs since 1990, they are leading an economic revitalization effort that empowers textile workers through ownership, democratic decision-making, and profit-sharing.

There are too many lessons and experiences to share. So, here are just a few takeaways:

The Importance of Being Present : Participants who stayed for the entire journey said they had the most fruitful experience. The immersive nature of the trip, combined with the structured learning agenda, created a profound impact that verbal or written descriptions cannot fully capture.

Relational Infrastructure : The emphasis on relationship-building was a key element of the learning journey. The curated group of funders, grantees, and movement leaders, along with the programming, helped break down power dynamics and foster genuine connections.

Making an Impact Through Philanthropy : The journey underscored that philanthropy is most effective when it follows the lead of grassroots movement leaders. Participants discussed the importance of humility, openness, and willingness to learn in supporting financial self-determination and a more equitable economy.

This immersive experience showed that economic systems extend far beyond financial success to include environmental and community well-being. We hope all the attendees can use this experience to build bridges with frontline movement leaders and within their organizations, connecting aligned work and foundation goals that are often hard to establish in an office environment. The Ambitio US team looks forward to our next learning journey, inspired by our grantees, their work, and the lessons we learn together.

This article was originally published on Medium. Read it on Medium →

by habtamu

The Download on the Yale Innovation Summit

By Cate Fox, Ambitio US Program Director

As a cooperative of artists operating a venture studio that invests in other creative projects, Ambitio US investee Midnight Oil Collective (MOC) finds itself constantly challenging economic assumptions. For the second year in a row, MOC curated the Arts and Culture track of the Yale Innovation Summit. This year MOC invited me ( Ambitio US Director, Cate Fox, ) to moderate a panel, “Challenging Economic Assumptions in the Creative Economy”. So, on May 30, 2024, at the Yale School of Management, our panel took the stage to discuss economics, innovation, and creativity.

Jongnic Bontemps, Composer at Bontemps Per Minute , started the panel conversation by pointing out that traditional safety nets have holes that artists often slip through, and business practices (such as royalties and project fees) are getting squeezed. Artists are being expected to do more with less, and it is not sustainable. Emily Roller, Co-Founder of Midnight Oil Collective and Makerstate, Inc. , shared that artists are encouraged to refine and hone their artistic craft, but they are rarely formally taught about the business side of managing their artistic practice. Many artists would welcome the opportunity to learn about business practices and entrepreneurship. After all, business awareness can lead to more creative freedom. [Those interested in this topic can check out CCI’s popular Business of Art (BOA) workshop and book , which is having its last CCI-produced session as we train a new set of trainers outside of our organization to deliver this content.] David Blasher, Executive Director of the MAP Fund , finished our panel’s opening remarks by sharing that financial or market success does not always reflect artistic success. While there are cases that important artistic works (those that influence an artist’s own practice or movements or others in the field) are also financially successful, it can also be the case that creative work doesn’t show a market return but still has an enduring social value or is valuable to an individual (or community’s) practice.

From there we launched into a lively conversation about assumptions we wish people made about the creative economy (examples included the roles creatives can play in reimagining persistent problems and identifying possible solutions — and creatives can use any number of organizational structures, including but not limited to the 501(c)3 — to do their work). The audience had questions and comments on a wide range of topics. At one point, I was standing at the back of the room while the panelists at the front of the room were engaged in a debate and I could see the entire room leaning forward. The next time we asked for questions there were at least ten hands in the air. It was exciting to see how ready people were to be part of the conversation, and it was clear that 60 minutes was not enough time!

It was a rare experience for me to be part of a larger event that featured leading thinkers and investors in health, biotechnology, climate, technology, AND arts and culture. Innovation always includes creativity yet rarely are artists or culture bearers included in these kinds of gatherings. I’m glad the Yale Innovation Summit didn’t let this opportunity pass (and I hope they think about more ways to integrate these topic areas in the future.) Brilliant new ideas could be just around the corner! For this experience, I really appreciated getting a chance to know these amazing colleagues and the invitation from MOC to be part of the Summit.

You can find a full recording of our conversation on the Yale Innovation Summit’s YouTube channel (linked).

What economic assumptions would you challenge about the creative economy? How would you answer that question? Hit us up on the Center for Cultural Innovation LinkedIn with your thoughts!

This article was originally published on Medium. Read it on Medium →

by habtamu

Podcast Launch: “The Soul of Capital: Models And Changemakers For A Just Economy”

By Nyia Hawkins, Ambitio US Fellow

We’d like to invite you to join us on “ The Soul of Capital ,” on Spotify and Apple Podcasts , as we dive into alternative economic models and hear directly from the changemakers leading them. We’ll also speak the capital stewards, working across philanthropy and impact investing, who are advocating for the initiatives. Creating a more inclusive, sustainable, and equitable economy for all is possible. These entrepreneurs, financial activists, and thought leaders provide insight into the challenges and opportunities those of us working in the field face in creating actionable strategies to build and invest in a world where everyone thrives.

Hosted and produced by Nyia Hawkins , Season 1 is presented in partnership with the Ambitio US initiative at the Center for Cultural Innovation.

Highlights from Recent Episodes:

Artist Turned Property Developer’s $50 Million Plan To Revitalize America’s First Black Neighborhood

Episode 101 features Executive Director of Memphis-based art gallery TONE Victoria Jones . She is part of the visionary property developer team behind a $50 million plan to redevelop Orange Mound Tower located in the first neighborhood built by formerly enslaved persons for Black Americans. They’re starting with the transformation of an abandoned 10-acre industrial site on the Southeast side of town into a mixed-use arts and live-work space.

How To Use the $30 Million Restoration of Clayborn Temple to Jumpstart a new Memphis Economy

Episode 102 features Memphis-based cultural strategist and entrepreneur Anasa Troutman . She is the Executive Director of the 130-year-old Historic Clayborn Temple , where she is leading a $25 million restoration of this National Trust for Historic Preservation-recognized National Treasure. Clayborn Temple served as the base of operations for the 1968 Sanitation Workers’ Strike for civil and labor rights. Her team is tapping into that history to create an anchor for a locally-based restorative economy.

How the Industrial Commons is Rebuilding the Rural Working Class Through Community Wealth

We most recently spoke with North Carolina-based entrepreneur Sara Chester for episode 103. Along with Molly Hemstreet , Sara is the Co-Founder & Co-Executive Director, of The Industrial Commons . They lead a cooperative incubator in rural North Carolina that is helping to rebuild a working class based on locally-rooted wealth. In a region that lost 85% of its textile jobs since 1990, they are leading an economic revitalization effort that empowers workers through ownership, democratic decision-making, and profit-sharing.

This article was originally published on Medium. Read it on Medium →

by habtamu