LETTER FROM OUR FOUNDER (2025-2026)

Dear Friends and Supporters,

As I sit down to reflect on Knox Street Studios' journey this year, I'm reminded that the best things aren't built overnight—they're built right. Since 2018, when we started with less than $5,000, we've been deliberate, patient, and uncompromising in our commitment to grow organically and build programs that are right-sized for our communities, not for someone else's metrics.

This year, we had our best year yet.

We're on a trajectory to surpass $1.5 million across our body of work—a milestone that represents so much more than dollars. It represents trust. It represents impact. It represents entrepreneurs who now own commercial real estate, who've built sustainable businesses, who've mastered AI and digital skills that most people are just starting to understand.

From day one, our approach has been different. We've always looked down range, studying best-in-class entrepreneurship curricula not just across America but across the globe, and bringing that same energy—that same rigor—to North Carolina. We don't believe in shortcuts. We believe in building something that lasts.

Why AI Matters Right Now

This year, we made a strategic bet on AI training and certification for small businesses—and I want to explain why this work is so critical.

Artificial intelligence isn't coming. It's here. And for underserved communities and small businesses, this is the moment that determines whether we lead or get left behind. The entrepreneurs we serve can't afford to wait and see. They need to understand AI, leverage it, and use it as competitive advantage right now.

Through our Google AI Essentials and Digital Certifications programs, we've trained entrepreneurs to automate customer service, create content systems, analyze data, and compete at a level that was unimaginable just two years ago. We've seen business owners cut their workload in half while doubling their output. We've watched people who were intimidated by technology become confident in implementing automation that saves them 10+ hours per week. Shout out to Richard Brown!

This is economic leverage. This is how small businesses stay competitive. This is how our communities build wealth in the 21st century.

Our Partners Make This Possible

None of what we've built would exist without the City and County of Durham, and the State of North Carolina. Your financial support and your belief in our model have been transformational. You've invested in more than programs—you've invested in a vision that coaching without capital just doesn't cut it, and that entrepreneurship is a pathway to generational wealth when we create the right support systems. Shouts to NC Idea for funding our micro-grants!

To our Directors, Lee and Richard: Your tireless commitment shows up in every program we run, every entrepreneur we serve, every late night (+ weekends) and early morning. You are the heartbeat of this organization, and I am deeply grateful.

To our Board: Your guidance, your networks, and your steady belief in what we're building has allowed us to think bigger and move faster. Thank you for stewarding this work with us. Hi Yall - Austin, Chaucer, Shani, John, Margaret.

What We've Built Together

This year, our Launch Lab Accelerator supported founders building businesses from the ground up, with each completing entrepreneur receiving micro-grants to fuel their next chapter. Our Property Acquisition Lab guided business owners through the journey from tenant to commercial property owner—creating wealth that will compound for generations. Our Google Digital Certifications programs served 100+ participants with 70-85% completion rates, proving that when you combine world-class education with community support, transformation follows.

At our Scale & Push Part 2 celebration in November, over 150 entrepreneurs filled The Durham Hotel. We distributed nearly $40,000 in grants this year. But more importantly, we built an ecosystem. We created a community of founders who support each other, learn from each other, and build together.

Looking Ahead

As we head into 2026, we're doubling down on what works: AI integration across all our programs, deeper alignment between coaching and capital, and getting into the nitty gritty with our partners. Iron sharpens iron. We're committed to strengthening our existing partnerships—the City and County of Durham, the State of North Carolina, NC IDEA, Google, and ACCESS POINT—while building new strategic relationships with organizations that share our belief that sustainable entrepreneurship requires comprehensive support, not just funding. We want partners who understand that closing the wealth gap means getting granular: better curriculum, stronger technical assistance, more intentional capital deployment, and ruthless focus on outcomes that matter. If you're doing this work seriously, let's connect.

Everything you see is just a thought manifested. As we move into 2026 and beyond, we will continue to manifest our vision: removing barriers to entrepreneurship, building generational wealth, and proving that when you invest in people with intention and integrity, they don't just survive—they thrive.

Thank you for being part of this journey. Thank you for believing that Durham, that North Carolina, that our entrepreneurs deserve world-class support. Together, we're building something that will outlast all of us.

With gratitude and determination,

Talib Graves-Manns

Founder & Executive Director - Knox Street Studios