BCAN CELEBRATES 5 YEARS OF IGNITING CREATIVE PASSION AT EVOLVE

The milestone bash offers exclusive first look at “who’s got next” in Baltimore

Baltimore, MD – November 11, 2022 – The Baltimore Creatives Acceleration Network (BCAN) marks 5 years of igniting creative passion and investing in creative genius on Tuesday, November 15 with a blowout celebration at the iconic Falvey Hall. This milestone anniversary party, aptly titled Evolve, features music by DJ Ty Alexander, delicious food and drinks from some of Baltimore’s most exciting local brands, charismatic guest speakers, and dynamic presentations from the newest members of the BCAN family, the Scale Your Passion (SYP) Fellows of the program’s third cohort.

In just 5 short years, BCAN has helped some of Baltimore’s most innovative creative businesses scale and grow into more widely known brands, including Mess in a Bottle, Le Monade, and Fruit Camp Tattoo. These business owners were chosen to participate in BCAN’s various programming based on BCAN’s commitment to hold space for creatives who often lack representation in the entrepreneurial space, including the Black and LGBTQIA+ communities. To date, BCAN has collaboratively invested nearly $1 million into Baltimore’s creative community and provided holistic and custom support and community via expert partnerships, travel opportunities, and a “mindfulness first” approach that is often missing from other business development programs. The program has “evolved” to focus on the wholeness of the creative entrepreneur to better ensure long-lasting, viable business ecosystems and steer away from the old “starving artist” trope that has long plagued those who dare to pursue their creative passions to make a living.

The ten bold, visionary Baltimore-based creative founders that make-up cohort #3 of this year’s SYP Fellowship will present their businesses to the public, including potential investors, friends, family, and supporters utilizing what they’ve learned during the intensive 8-week SYP program. Those founders include:

BLK ASS FLEA MKT | Founders Bri Mobley and Sola Ekunseitan

BrickRose Exchange | Founder Bianca J. Jackson

Currency Studio | Founder Michael Haskins Jr

The Empanada Lady | Founder Elisa Milan

GRL PWR | Founders Amy Reid and Pangelica

Habesha Flavor | Founder Micknai Arefaine

ihenryphoto | Founder Webster Phillips III

JPJackson Art | Founder Jordan Jackson

Visionary Live Studios | Founder Akilah McCrorey

Yele | Founder Yele Oladeinde

Additionally, BCAN’s Entrepreneurship & Innovation Director, Sharayna Ashanti Christmas, will moderate a riveting panel discussion on the topic of building creative community and the creative entrepreneur evolution, including DeShuna Elisa Spencer, Founder & CEO, KweliTV and Nicoletta de la Brown, Interdisciplinary Artist and Chamána, and the hosts of “Kontent Queens” podcast, Kia Marie and Vic Styles, as panelists.

Evolve stages Tuesday, November 15 from 6 PM-9 PM. This event is free and open to the public. To RSVP, tickets are available on Eventbrite.

About BCAN

The Baltimore Creatives Acceleration Network (BCAN) is a BIPOC woman led citywide movement to prepare, connect, resource, and inspire Baltimore’s creatives to own their genius, build mindful creative enterprises, and shape our future. Through business accelerator programs, creative coaching, networking events and advocacy work, BCAN has supported over 1900 creatives in Baltimore. The BCAN community of creative entrepreneurs have gone on to launch new businesses, create local jobs, establish retail locations, and gain national partnerships and press. Past SYP Fellowship graduates include Mess in a Bottle, Le Monade, Mera Kitchen Collective, and Fruit Camp Tattoo. BCAN is made possible by the generous support of Bloomberg Philanthropies, National Endowment for the Arts, the City of Baltimore, Baltimore Development Corporation, Aaron and Lillie Straus Foundation, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Surdna Foundation, Village Capital & Black Innovation Alliance, T. Rowe Price Foundation, Philip E. & Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation, PNC Bank, Henry Niles Foundation, Goldseker Foundation, Elsmere Education, the Maryland State Arts Council and the Maryland Institute College of Art.