Cabarrus Center Retail Lab Graduates 10 Local Entrepreneurs, Awards 5 Grants

Ten local entrepreneurs are celebrating their graduation from the Retail Lab Boot Camp—a new program created in 2021 to address the complex nature of starting and operating a retail establishment. The 10 graduates of Retail Lab completed an application-based, six-week immersive boot camp on May 4. The following week, five of the graduates chose to pitch for members of the Entrepreneurship Council for $2,500 micro-grants. All five of them were successfully awarded the grants. Bethann McGinnis, owner of Little Beautiful...

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Cabarrus Center Celebrates Retail Lab Pop Up Store Grand Opening

Six Retail Lab graduates launch their businesses inside new co-op store in Downtown Concord On Wednesday, April 13 at noon, new local retailers will cut the ribbon to officially open the Retail Lab Pop Up Store at the Cabarrus Center in downtown Concord. The idea for the Retail Lab Pop Up Store was birthed after the completion of the Cabarrus Center’s first Retail Lab Boot Camp program in the fall of 2021. Members of the cohort were offered the opportunity to pitch for the use of the Retail Lab space in the Cabarrus...

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Cabarrus Center Launches Team-Based Entrepreneur Mentorship Program

10 local ventures and 25 mentors join the pilot of Cabarrus Center VMS, licensed by MIT After months of planning, training, and recruiting, the Cabarrus Center Venture Mentoring Service (VMS), licensed by MIT, has launched its pilot program with 25 local mentors and 10 new ventures and existing small businesses. The Cabarrus Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, located in historic downtown Concord, has been the hub of entrepreneurial development since it opened in March of 2021. However, key stakeholders in...

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Cabarrus Center Launches Second Retail Lab Boot Camp

Applications Open to New Retail Entrepreneurs on February 1, 2022 The Cabarrus Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship announced the Spring session of its Retail Lab Boot Camp and is accepting applications starting on Tuesday, February 1, 2022. The Retail Lab was created to address the complexities of starting and operating a retail business. The Retail Lab serves early-stage retail business owners in Cabarrus and Rowan counties. It is an application-based, six-week immersive Boot Camp, followed by an opportunity...

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