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Programs / Education & Capacity Building

From Creators to Entrepreneurs

Equipping Black and Brown creators with the business skills, legal knowledge, and entrepreneurial tools to own, license, and scale their creative assets.

0%
Of Creators Lack Business Training
$0
Average IP Literacy Education in Art Schools
0%
Have Been Exploited by Unfair Contracts
0
Fellows in First Cohort (2025)

The Talent-to-Opportunity Gap

Black and Brown creators have the talent, the vision, and the cultural fluency that drives global trends. What they often lack is access to the business education, legal protection, and entrepreneurial networks that turn creative talent into sustainable wealth. We're closing that gap through comprehensive training, mentorship, and ongoing support.

Cultural Equity Fellowship: 6-Month Intensive Program

Our flagship program transforms 50 emerging creators per year from talented artists into skilled cultural entrepreneurs who understand IP law, contract negotiation, pricing strategy, and platform building.

Module 01

IP Fundamentals & Protection

Understanding copyright, trademark, and cultural IP. How to register, protect, and defend your work.

  • Copyright basics for creators
  • Trademark registration process
  • Cultural IP vs. traditional IP
  • MADE platform registration
Module 02

Contract Literacy & Negotiation

Reading, understanding, and negotiating licensing agreements, brand partnerships, and commission contracts.

  • Contract anatomy and red flags
  • Royalty splits and payment terms
  • Negotiation tactics and leverage
  • When to walk away
Module 03

Pricing & Valuation

How to price your work based on usage, market rates, and long-term value rather than desperation.

  • Understanding cultural value
  • Market rate research
  • Usage-based pricing models
  • Saying no to exploitation
Module 04

Business Formation & Taxes

Setting up LLCs, understanding tax obligations, building business credit, and separating personal from business finances.

  • LLC vs. sole proprietorship
  • Tax fundamentals for creatives
  • Building business credit
  • Retirement and savings
Module 05

Platform Building & Marketing

Building an audience, marketing your work, using social media strategically, and converting followers to customers.

  • Personal brand development
  • Social media strategy
  • Email list building
  • Content marketing basics
Module 06

Licensing & Revenue Streams

Understanding licensing models, creating passive income, building multiple revenue streams from your creative work.

  • Licensing models explained
  • Passive vs. active income
  • Building revenue stacks
  • Scaling your creative business

Fellowship Structure & Support

What Fellows Receive

  • 6 months of intensive training (2 sessions/month)
  • 1:1 mentorship from successful creative entrepreneurs
  • Legal support for contract review and IP registration
  • $2,500 business development stipend
  • Free MADE platform registration and verification
  • Access to national network of 500+ MADE creators
  • Portfolio review and professional feedback
  • Lifetime alumni network and ongoing support

Who Should Apply

  • Black or Brown creators (any discipline)
  • 2+ years of professional creative practice
  • Committed to building sustainable creative business
  • Willing to give back to community after fellowship
  • Based in US (priority for underserved communities)
  • Portfolio demonstrating cultural authenticity
  • No formal business education required
  • Open to emerging and mid-career creators

Success Stories: From the Fellowship to Financial Freedom

M
Maya Chen
Textile Designer, Atlanta

"I Went from $18K to $127K in One Year"

Before the fellowship, I was selling my African-inspired textile designs for $200-500 per piece, barely covering materials. I had no idea I could license my patterns instead of selling one-off pieces.

The fellowship taught me IP protection, licensing models, and pricing strategy. Within 3 months of completing the program, I licensed my signature Adinkra-modern fusion pattern to a major home goods brand for $45,000. I've since licensed 8 more designs.

Now I teach other textile artists in my community how to protect and monetize their work. The multiplier effect is real.

$127K
Annual Revenue
8
Designs Licensed
15
Artists Mentored
J
Jamal Robinson
Photographer, Chicago

"From Exploitation to Empowerment"

A major fashion brand used my street photography in a national campaign without permission or payment. I had no legal recourse and no money for a lawyer. I felt powerless.

The Cultural Equity Fellowship gave me the legal knowledge to protect my work and the business skills to negotiate fair contracts. When another brand approached me, I negotiated a $30,000 licensing deal with ongoing royalties.

I now run workshops teaching young Black photographers how to avoid the exploitation I experienced. Knowledge is protection.

$85K
Licensing Revenue
4
Brand Partnerships
40
Photographers Trained

Investment Opportunities: Scaling Education Impact

Every dollar invested in creator education generates measurable returns in economic empowerment, wealth creation, and community knowledge transfer. Your investment creates a multiplier effect that compounds over time.

Education Transformer

$7M
Scale the fellowship nationally and build permanent education infrastructure
  • Expand fellowship to 250 creators annually across 10 cities
  • Build permanent MADE Academy with full-time education staff
  • Create online learning platform with 50+ courses
  • Fund 20 full-time mentors and business advisors
  • Provide $5,000 stipends to all fellows for business development
  • Deploy legal support team for contract review and IP disputes
  • Establish emergency fund for fellows facing financial crisis
  • Create alumni network platform and ongoing support system
  • Named academy recognition and board representation

Community Catalyst

$2.5M
Power regional programs and intensive creator support
  • Support 100 fellows annually across 5 cities
  • Fund curriculum development and digital learning tools
  • Deploy legal support for IP registration and contracts
  • Provide $2,500 stipends to all fellows
  • Build mentor network of 50 successful creative entrepreneurs
  • Create city-specific workshops and community programs
  • Annual impact reporting with fellow success metrics

Skills Builder

$500K
Support one cohort and launch city-specific programs
  • Fund complete 50-person fellowship cohort for one year
  • Deploy legal support and contract review services
  • Provide business development stipends
  • Support city-specific workshops and community events
  • Semi-annual impact reporting with fellow outcomes
  • Recognition as Skills Builder partner

Why Education Creates Lasting Change

Multiplier Effect

Each fellow becomes a teacher. On average, fellowship graduates mentor 12 other creators in their first year, creating exponential community impact.

Generational Wealth

Business skills and IP protection create sustainable income streams that compound over time and can be passed to future generations.

Economic Justice

When Black and Brown creators understand their value and demand fair compensation, it shifts market dynamics and creates pressure for systemic change.

Community Power

Educated, empowered creators build networks, share knowledge, and collectively bargain for better terms. Individual education creates collective power.

Invest in the Next Generation of Cultural Entrepreneurs

For philanthropists committed to economic empowerment and wealth creation in Black and Brown communities, the Cultural Equity Fellowship offers direct, measurable impact with proven outcomes. Let's discuss how your investment can transform lives.