February 18,  2021

6 PM (online, interactive)

Instructors: Ginger Keller-Ferguson and Aundrea Wilcox   

APPALACHIAN HIGHLANDS: During “Creative Assets: Finding Resources in a Changing World” Ginger Keller-Ferguson of Keller-Ferguson and Associates will team up with Aundrea Wilcox of KOSBE (Kingsport Office of Small Business Development and Entrepreneurship). These two experts will offer a rare and valuable opportunity for our region’s creatives to gain insight into modes of funding and business development that they may not have otherwise considered.

Keller-Ferguson will share “Finding Funding,” a section of her longer, self-paced online grantwriting course developed for her private clients. She will talk about identifying the best sources for grant opportunities and will include a deep dive into the two best sites for finding federal and foundation grant opportunities for creatives and arts-based businesses. Wilcox will share her perspective as the Executive Director of KOSBE. The mission of this office is supporting small businesses in writing and executing business plans, obtaining capital for startup or expansion, and developing new business, among many other roles.

Since 2010, Ginger Keller-Ferguson has been working with creatives and creative businesses to find funding for special projects and programs. She founded Keller-Ferguson and Associates, a grantwriting and fundraising consulting firm, which has secured over 30 million dollars in private, corporate, and state funding for organizations across East Tennessee. Her employers and clients have included East Tennessee State University, Kingsport City Schools, Northeast State Community College, the Niswonger Foundation, Langston Education and Arts Development, and many others. Ginger has written five ebooks covering nonprofit management topics and developed the online grant writing course, Grant Funding: Making Grant Writing Work for Your Organization, to share her knowledge and insights to help do-gooders “Do More, Better.”

Aundrea Wilcox’s biography on Amazon,com notes that she “has provided technical assistance to over 1,600 individuals or businesses. As a business coach she has contributed to creating 692 new jobs, raising $11.4 million for local companies, and assisting several clients with applying for minority, veteran, and woman-owned business certifications resulting in these companies achieving certifications and securing new contracts totaling more than $10 million. [Wilcox] is also the author of two books: Startup Savvy: Strategies for Optimizing Small Business Survival & Success and Superwoman Smarts: Activating Leadership & Substance.” She will appear on behalf of the area Small Business Association.

Create Appalachia offer Arts@Work classes at greatly reduced ticket prices thanks to a generous grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission. A few small scholarships are also available. Contact Katie Hoffman at katie@createappalachia.org for details.

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Create Appalachia’s goal is to make the Appalachian Highlands a better place to live and work through innovation and entrepreneurship centered around the arts. We are working to support an environment that will generate new businesses, provide jobs in the arts, and encourage graduates from our colleges and universities to stay in our community.

The Arts@Work Series supports entrepreneurial and self-employed artists and makers who wish to develop their professional business skills. Topics include business strategy, marketing, communication and promotion, pricing, and client relations. The 2021 Arts@Work series was curated to meet the particular needs of small creative businesses dealing with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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PRESS CONTACT:

Katie Hoffman
Executive Director
Create Appalachia katie@createappalachia.org
(423) 329-4742