Resources
Check out the resources and publications we’ve produced and supported, as well as those from the field that inspire our work.
A Better Future is Possible
The Center for Cultural Innovation is welcoming everyone to a one-day convening for artists, students, grantees, funders, allies, and interested…
What is culturally rooted community ownership?
What is culturally rooted community ownership? An expression of solidarity, creativity, and a reclamation of traditions that offer funders various…
Show me your investment terms, and I’ll show you the soul of your capital
How do artists build an economy that works for everyone? “You have to have some kind of creativity to reimagine the world the way you want it to……
EB PREC Breaks Rocks: A Celebration to Preserve and Restore Esther’s Orbit Room in West Oakland
In early December 2025, funders, organizations, creatives, and long-time community members from West Oakland gathered at Esther’s Orbit Room, EB…
Reimagine Possibility -Boston Ujima Project’s Assembly of Black Possibilities in Chicago
The CCI — Ambitio US team went on a learning journey to learn about cooperative structures in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy and Basque Region of…
A Brief Reflection on the ReIMAGINE Scale Learning Journey
One of the most common questions funders raise with Ambitio US and with organizations in the Movement for localized and empowering culturally rooted…
ReIMAGINE Scale: Self-Determined Power in US
One of the most common questions funders raise with Ambitio US and with organizations in the Movement for localized and empowering culturally rooted…
Permissionless = Permission-more Crypto Institutionalization?
On Monday, June 23, 2025, Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI) staff arrived in New York to attend Blockworks’ Permissionless IV conference. For…
Historic Clayborn Temple Finds Hope and Support After Devastating Fire
During the early morning hours of Monday, April 28, a fire consumed Historic Clayborn Temple. The Memphis Fire Department called in the Department of…
Community Ownership and Crypto (DAOs, Web3, DeFi) in 30 Days
Decentralized Ownership from Coast to Coast In late February 2025, Angie Kim, Center for Cultural Innovation President & CEO, and I (the Ambitio US…
Symposium – Building an Equitable Arts Infrastructure Afternoon Session: Labor/Work
Hosted a national symposium focused on the enduring challenge of cultural, economic and racial equity in the nation’s performing arts sector.
We Are (neighbor)Built for This
As we embark on the seventh year of Ambitio US , there is increased urgency to find and support experimental systems change work. In the midst of…
Evil Genius Strategy Session Recap (EGSS): Funders and Movement Leaders Convene
The Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI), Ambitio US, and the National Performance Network (NPN) hosted the Evil Genius Strategy Sessions (EGSS), an…
Boston Impact Initiative Fund Manager Cohort Recap
From November 6–8, Nyia and I were in Boston to attend a gathering of four cohorts of Boston Impact Initiative’s (BII) Emerging Fund Manager program.…
Ekvn-Yefolecv Indigenous Convening: The Power of Cultural Revitalization
Ekvn-Yefolecv Indigenous Convening: The Power of Cultural Resilience During the last week of October, Cate, Chris, and Leeann from the Ambitio US…
Power In Community
There are many dimensions to shifting capital, power, and ownership to cultural communities under threat, but at the core of making those important…
Regenerative Finance 2.0: Ethical Business Models and Innovative Financing
Speaks to Cate Fox, CCI AmbtitioUS Director, Nichole M. Christian, CCI Narrative Shifter, and other industry leaders in this comprehensive report on…
Beyond Racial Backlash: The Role of Funders, Intermediaries, and Practitioners in Forging Ahead Together
Publisher: Common Future By Cate Fox
From Erasure to Empowerment: Reflections on AmbitioUS’s Southern Immersive Learning Journey
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…
The Download on the Yale Innovation Summit
As a cooperative of artists operating a venture studio that invests in other creative projects, Ambitio US investee Midnight Oil Collective (MOC)…
Podcast Launch: “The Soul of Capital: Models And Changemakers For A Just Economy”
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…
Invisible Weavers: Charting the Evolving Identity of Intermediary Organizations
In this webinar, we'll explore intermediaries' evolution from their historical roots to their potential future roles. We will dive into their primary…
At the Nexus of Change: Nexus Community Partners and the City of Saint Paul Launch the LOCAL Fund
Nexus Community Partners is building on its rich 20-year history of fostering engaged and empowered communities of color with an exciting new…
Reflections from the 2024 Just Economy Conference
I recently had the profound pleasure of attending the 2024 Just Economy Conference hosted by the National Community Reinvestment Coalition in…
Unpacking the Impact: Insights from our ‘Participatory Investing 101’ Workshop
Earlier this month, Ambitio US hosted its first public convening of the year, “Participatory Investing 101: Moving from Principles to Practice,”…
Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy Financing and Impact Investing
Publisher: Impact Finance Center By Cate Fox
The Industrial Commons: Work for the Common Good
The Industrial Commons is a 501(c)(3) founded in 2015 with a mission to rebuild a diverse working class based on locally rooted wealth. They…
A Changing Workforce Requires a Changing Approach to Worker Benefits and Protections
“Think of every single gig worker as a small business owner,” said Center for Cultural Innovation President and CEO Angie Kim at a recent panel…
Healing, Bridging, Thriving: A Summit on Arts and Culture in our Communities
At the end of January, the White House Domestic Policy Council and the National Endowment of the Arts invited 500 artists, practitioners, academics,…
Building the Future: Grantmakers in the Arts Annual Conference 2023
Each Fall, our staff looks forward to attending, reconnecting, and learning alongside colleagues from around the country at the Grantmakers in the…
Charting a More AmbitioUS Legacy for New Economy Builders
As we mark five years, the mid-point, of Ambitio US , we feel a continued, and even escalating, urgency for the kind of experimental systems change…
New Year, New Team Members: Welcome, Jonathon and Hannah!
While it is hard to believe, Ambitio US is marking the end of year five (of no more than ten years). We are strategizing about sectoral and…
EB PREC Turns Five: A Milestone of Community Empowerment and Impact
We would like to recognize the 5-year anniversary of Ambitio US investee East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative (EB PREC) , a multi-stakeholder…
AmbitioUS Grantees Vu Le and Solidaire Network Receive Prestigious NCRP Awards
Hearty congratulations are in order for Ambitio US grantees Vu Le and Solidaire Network , both of whom recently received awards from the National…
AmbitioUS Black Possibilities in Boston!
Ambitio US invited changemakers from five organizations to join us at the Assembly of Black Possibilities , an October 2023 fall assembly hosted by…
Jessica Norwood is Building an Economy She Can Love
Jessica Norwood is Building an Economy She Can Love When it comes to the voice and visions of Jessica Norwood, Ambitio US is admittedly biased about…
New Fellow Joins the Fold
Ambitio US is pleased to welcome Nyia Hawkins as the initiative’s first-ever fellow. Hawkins comes to the new role, and the Center for Cultural…
Keeping On: About Last Week’s SCOTUS Rulings
Angie Kim, President & CEO of CCI, responds to recent back-to-back SCOTUS rulings that perpetuate harm, and will likely lead to social unrest,…
Yale Innovation Summit 2023: “What is ROI in the Arts?”
Hosted an arts panel titled "What is ROI in the Arts?," led by John Kao, wherein panelists Dr. Angie Kim, Richie Siegel, Kent Nicholson, Roche…
At the Table For All
At the end of April, the Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI), AmbitioUS staff, a few Ambitio US grantees, and organizational friends all rolled into…
A Message from Marquis
Since its launch, Ambitio US has prided itself on following the lead and acting in partnership with trailblazing BIPOC artists, creatives, and…
A Gathering of Good People
You know that feeling of meeting someone for the first time, but it feels like you have known them forever? That happened to me recently — but it…
Examining New Models to Advance Racial and Economic Justice
Hosted an exclusive interview with Dr. Angie Kim, Rahsaan Harris and Srinija Srinivasan to discuss new approaches to civic education and creative…
AmbitioUS On the ROAD: Oakland Edition
On a recent visit to Oakland, our Ambitio US team had opportunities to connect with grantees, investees, allies, and other funders who are dedicated…
Sol Salute: CCI’s Latest Program, AmbitioUS too
At Ambitio US, we’ve always been transparent about the time-limited nature of our work on behalf of BIPOC creatives, thinkers, and arts workers. Ten…
Boston Impact Initiative Infrastructure Report
Publisher: Center for Cultural Innovation/AmbitioUS By Boston Impact Initiative & Social Impact Now
NFT’s, Smart Contracts, & DAO’s: A Resource for Creatives
Publisher: Center for Cultural Innovation By Alex Glancy
(Re) Shaping the Future: Yes to That
In a recent media interview with Next City , Ambitio US Director Cate Fox shares a sentiment about the initiative’s exploration of the Web3 space…
Mapping Change Lesson by Lesson
We believe shared learning is the best learning. In a co-authored essay published recently by Nonprofit Quarterly (NPQ), Ambitio US Director Cate Fox…
Learning Opportunity: Next Economy MBA
An equitable, inclusive, and regenerative economy does not just happen by chance. The work is hard and best done together. After all, it is the…
(Re) Shaping the Future: Yes to That
In a recent media interview with Next City , Ambitio US Director Cate Fox shares a sentiment about the initiative’s exploration of the Web3 space…
Seven Questions for Cate Fox, Director of The Center for Cultural Innovation’s AmbitioUS Program
Publisher: Inside Philanthropy By Mike Scutari
When it Comes to Loans, This Organization Decided Character Trumps Credit Score
Publisher: Next City By Nia Springer-Norris
How Philanthropy Can Show Up for an Arts Solidarity Economy
Publisher: Non Profit Quarterly By Cate Fox and Nichole M. Christian
A Taste of Home: How Ethnic Grocery Stores Create Community
Publisher: Yes! Magazine By Michelle Chen
Indigenous and Black Communities Find Common Cause for Land Justice
Publisher: Yes! Magazine By PennElys Droz
Stolen Lands: A Black and Indigenous History of Land Exploitation
Publisher: Yes! Magazine By PennElys Droz
Video highlighting AmbitioUS grantee Historic Clayborn
Spotlighted AmbitioUS and grantee Historic Clayborn Temple in its 2021 annual report featuring leaders who are using the arts to regenerate urban…
Read With US
Great reads guide our work and our belief in better ways. A pillar of our work as a ten year-time limited initiative is constant learning and deep…
DeFy Expectations
AmbitioUS Director Cate Fox on the Future of Web 3.0 and Inclusion E ight in the morning seemed an odd time for a dance party but the music was on,…
Less Talk; More Action
Publisher: Center for Cultural Innovation/AmbitioUS By Angie Kim, President & CEO
Where the Road Leads
When the Center for Cultural Innovation launched Ambitio US four years ago, the bullseye became neon clear: Identify the alternative economic…
For Whom Do We Learn?
Publisher: Center for Cultural Innovation/AmbitioUS By Author: Angie Kim, President & CEO
The RUNWAY to Joy
Just a few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending Nonprofit Quarterly’s Remaking the Economy: Closing the Racial Wealth Gap . The perspective of…
Imagining: Courage
We have lead pipes in our American economic system. The extent to which we are aware of that fact is likely related to the degree of direct exposure…
An Ally Asks
Conversations and forward-thinking questions are central to all that we do at Ambitio US. Our mission is big and our time intentionally limited: Ten…
Up Next: Help News Spread
Up Next: Help News Spread By Nichole M. Christian From its inception as a time-limited initiative of the Center for Cultural Innovation, Ambitio US…
Spirits and Logistics
Publisher: CCI/AmbitioUS By Research Collective Caroline Woolard, Dan Taeyoung, Eric Triantafillou, Jonathan Lee, Luana Marques Soares, and Sruti…
Revitalizing Black Neighborhoods by Preserving Their History
This New York Times report was informed by an interview with AmbitioUS staff.
ToO+lkit: Holly Kelly & Joe Concra of O+ Festival
Publisher: Center for Cultural Innovation By Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI)
A Helping Hand for the Twin Cities’ Most Essential Workers — Mothers
Publisher: Next City By Kelsey E. Thomas
The Black Creators Paving the Way in the Digital Arts Economy
Publisher: Next City By Kelsey E. Thomas
Creative Cooperatives Toolbox with Janelle Orsi, Sustainable Economies Law Center
Publisher: Center for Cultural Innovation By Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI)
Creative Cooperatives in Practice with Austin Robley, Ampled
Publisher: Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI) By Center for Cultural Innovation
When Indigenous Women Entrepreneurs Succeed, So Does the Entire Community
Publisher: Next City By Hannah Chinn
“The System Has Never Worked Well.” An Arts Grantmaker Seeks New Funding Models
Publisher: Inside Philanthropy By Mike Scutari
Co-Operative Platform Ownership Is Keeping Artists in Business
Publisher: Next City By Kelsey E. Thomas
Arts Workers in California
Commissioned by Center for Cultural Innovation, authored by Urban Institute, with support from the Hewlett Foundation
This Oakland Law Center Fights Housing Insecurity by ‘Radicalizing Real Estate’
Publisher: Next City By Hannah Chinn
How philanthropy fails to support its greatest assets, BIPOC leaders, and what it should do about it
Publisher: NonProfit AF By Vu Le
Remake the Model: Building a Solidarity Economy for the Arts
Publisher: Arts Funders Forum By Arts Funders Forum
In Memphis, One Woman Honors History in Her Fight for Economic Justice
Publisher: Next City By Hannah Chinn
What Would It Look Like if the Economy Loved Black Entrepreneurs?
Publisher: Next City By Oscar Perry Abello
GIA Webinar: Reimagining the Economy with Innovative Support
Publisher: Grantmakers in the Arts By Grantmakers in the Arts
I Went Looking for Artists in the Inclusive Economy, and They Were Already There
Publisher: Medium By Angie Kim
Alternative Economic Work Is Thriving in the U.S. but Faces Unnatural, Unnecessary Hurdles
Publisher: Medium By Angie Kim