Invest in urbanist ventures, improve Black public spaces.
Studio KIN provides a unique blend of capital, connections, and community in order to give entities the tools they need to thrive.
Place-based professional practices have the power to increase equity in the over 1,036 majority-Black U.S. zip codes, but only if those planning, designing, and building public spaces reflect the surrounding communities.
Source: Kinder Institute
Program Overview
Studio KIN is designed to empower urbanist ventures fostering more equitable and inclusive urban landscapes in Black spaces. Our bi-annual accelerator program selects a cohort of 8 – 10 businesses focused in our BlackSpace Cousin network (Chicago, New York City, Indianapolis and the state of Oklahoma). Through a hybrid of virtual and in-person experiences, we offer a comprehensive program designed to accelerate organizational values, operations, and product/services
What We Offer
12 months of hybrid programming • Business Development Trainings (virtual and in-person) • Service and Product Development Coaching (virtual and in-person) • National Weekend Intensives (in-person) • Local Community Gatherings (in-person) • Philanthropic Grant (for business) • Pitch Event (with cash and in-kind prizes)
Application Timeline
• Nov 12 2024 – Application opens!
• Dec 3 2024 – Virtual Info Session
• Jan 12 2025 – Application Due!
• Mar 2025 – Selection Notices
• Apr 2025 – Onboarding
• May 2025 – Cohort Public Announcement / Program Launch
Who We’re Looking For
• An urbanist venture, meaning business is providing place-based solutions benefiting residents, businesses or community members.
• Ventures that are a legally established business entity.
• Ventures operating within the BlackSpace Cousin network including: Chicago, New York City, Indianapolis and the state of Oklahoma.
• Ventures should be entities established within the past 3-5 years that have launched at least 1 product/service to the public market.
• Ventures aligned with the BlackSpace vision and mission.
• Able to identify a leadership representative whose experience must demonstrate a strong familiarity of Black/African diasporic lived experiences via successful delivery of at least 3 urbanist related products or services throughout their career. The leadership representative must be a primary decision making founder, director, or general partner for the organization.
