Retail Lab

The Retail Lab was established through a partnership between the Cabarrus Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the Flywheel Foundation, and the Small Business Center at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College.

early stage and pre-launch retail business owners

Six-Week Business Bootcamp

The Retail Lab program is designed to help early stage and pre-launch retail business owners in the area through a six-week boot camp focusing on Business Basics, Strategy, Branding and Marketing, E-commerce, Point-of-Sale and Inventory, and Real Estate/Licensing.

Participants who graduate from the program will have an opportunity to pitch for grant funding through the Flywheel Foundation, and will also receive a 3-month Flywheel Membership that includes space use at the Cabarrus Center, amenities, and member benefits.

Spring 2025 Boot Camp

The application for our Spring 2025 Cohort has closed. The application period was from Monday, January 6th, to Monday, February 24th, at midnight.

Feb. 24 @ Midnight | Application Deadline

Before Mar 11
Applicants will be notified of selection

Mar 18–Apr 22 (Tuesdays 6–8 PM)
Boot Camp Schedule

Apr 29 | Pitch Night (6–8 PM)

May 6 | Graduation (8 PM)

In order to apply for Retail Lab Boot Camp, you must:

Have an early stage retail business or plan to launch a retail business in Cabarrus or Rowan County.
Commit to using the programming and resources of the Retail Lab Boot Camp Program to launch your idea.

“The Retail Lab Boot Camp was a fantastic experience. Before I started, there were so many unanswered questions. I have a much better understanding of how to market my product and grow my revenue streams to both online and retail outlets. The collaboration and insight from industry professionals, as well as my classmates, were extremely valuable.”

James Wise, Wise Earth & Iron

A special thank you goes out to our program sponsor for helping us make the Retail Lab program possible.