Please Welcome Our New Open For Business Cohort

Community

Please Welcome Our New open For Business Cohort

Cathy Niland | 10.5.2022

Last Tuesday, our newest Open For Business (OFB) cohort gathered for the first time, kicking off their three-month program. This is the second iteration of our entrepreneurship incubator, designed to support Bay Area BIPOC makers in developing and expanding their product lines.

Over the next three months, participants will work alongside Crucible mentors in areas like Jewelry, Ceramics, Woodworking, Machine Shop, and Moldmaking. And while our cohort members all have established art practices and experience selling their work, Open For Business affords them the opportunity to grow their product lines through access to Crucible tools like CNC machines, 3D printers, reusable molds, and much more.

The group follows OFB Program Manager, David Banks, on a tour through The Crucible’s Woodturning studio.

For Ian Wenck, Machine Shop Department Head and OFB Mentor, being able to share what he’s learned is something he’s excited to do. “I remember starting out on my artist journey and it’s nice coming back around and imparting what I’ve learned on others so they can get the most out of their experience.” He continued; “I think mentorship is so important because it pairs people with folks who they may never have otherwise met.”

Through OFB, participants will also have access to business coaching from our new partners, ESO Ventures, an East Oakland-based organization dedicated to addressing economic, racial, and gender gaps for entrepreneurs. OFB Program Manager, David Banks told us, “We are super excited to partner with local small business accelerator, ESO Ventures. It’s rare that you find a team with roots in Oakland that is knowledgeable of an entrepreneur’s journey and has a track record of success for business for people of color.”

With support from ESO’s Programs Manager, Sabrina Mutukisna, and Coach, Bri James, our OFB cohort will have regular one-on-one coaching sessions, business training, and access to capital. For Bri, helping folks make a living through their creative work is about more than financial security. She shared, “I think that art and entrepreneurship is really a path towards liberation and allows us to challenge narratives about our worth and our abilities and our power and those things can coexist.”

Toward the end of the program, our cohort members, alongside 60+ other Bay Area vendors, will sell their goods at our 2022 GIFTY craft show and open house this December 2, 3, and 4. Leading up to the event, OFB participants will also have access to marketing, booth design, and vendor preparedness training. And following the program’s conclusion, OFB participants will maintain access to ESO’s business portal as well as three months of access to The Crucible’s CREATE program.

“It’s not just about having the tools to scale your business, but actually having a space to do it is huge,” shared Sabrina. “This partnership really does both things so that artist entrepreneurs can really make a living off of this work.”

Meet our new Open For Business cohort below and stay tuned as we bring you stories of their progress in the coming months.