We are The Ke’nekt Cooperative, a grassroots community led wealth building movement in the historic community of southwest Atlanta.
Our collective work is to bring power to our community by disrupting the capitalistic & racial economic disparities of commercial real estate by creating our own economic empowerment ecosystem rooted in shared cooperative beliefs.
This movement is for us, by us & powered by Us.
The Ke’nekt Cooperative is a hyperlocal community think tank of Legacy Black Businesses, Creatives, Micro Start Ups & Solopreneurs where global ideas are not only explored in theory, but developed and invested into by the very community in which they live with cooperative economics.
Highlights Include:
Community CoWorking Space
Shared Retail Incubator
404 Grounds Community Controlled Cooperative
Wraparound Holistic Small Business Support
Although Atlanta’s Black Populations is 51%, our community is vanishing in the wake of gentrification & displacement. The aftermath of COVID 19 leaves Black owned businesses closing twice the rate of white counterparts.
Statistics show that 41% of Black Businesses have permanently closed their doors.
Atlanta is ranked number one in the nation for racial income disparities.
The average value of a Black Owned business is $58,000 while the average value of a White Owned business is $650,000. Legacy Black Businesses & residents of our southwest Atlanta community in which The Ke’nekt Cooperative is located in is critical to our success.
The lived experiences of our community is where innovation is inspired & acted on by supporting the development of social impact brands with a commitment to community.
Community driven solutions led by Black Folks on the ground & backed with the economic reparative support is the only way to shift the needle against the harmful effects of racial economic disparities.
The Ke’Nekt, For Us Powered By Us, isn’t just a slogan, It’s how we do community.
We are seeking Funding support to launch the 1st Cooperative Economics Retail Incubator in Atlanta .
Our Capitol Campaign Goal is 120k.
The objective of the capitol campaign is to convert a 2000 sq foot building originally built in 1954 & used as a former garage to a mixed retail/food hall space.
The Ke'nekt Capitol Campaign is needed to support the costs associated with the conversion of the former garage to a retail shared incubator, building maintenance & build out & technical assistance.
The Ke'nekt will consist of diverse like-minded individuals and businesses who have a cooperative focus on creating sustainable community through mindful engagement and collective action. The cooperative model will allow the community to leverage scale while creating employment and mentorship opportunities. Businesses will participate in cooperative purchasing, shared resources (including staff), and back office support while, creating an environment where entrepreneurs are mentored to avoid the pitfalls of ownership.
