Cary Innovation Center Supports Kickstarter Campaign For Kindred Boutique In Raleigh

CARY, NC, October 28, 2012 (Press-News.org) The Cary Innovation Center (http://www.caryinnovationcenter.org), a local organization dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs by offering professional mentoring and entrepreneurship education programs, has announced that Kindred, an artisan incubator located in downtown Raleigh, has launched a Kickstarter fundraising campaign to outfit its boutique (http://kck.st/QCuwtg). Fundraising efforts began on Sept. 25 and will continue through Friday, Nov. 9.

Kindred is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to encourage emerging artisans through mentoring and the creation of a boutique. The retail space will serve additionally as a place to host business workshops and classes. The organization is a collaboration between creative director Michelle Smith, founder of The Rock & Shop Market (http://www.rockandshopmarket.com) and indieNC, an organization dedicated to highlighting North Carolina's creative entrepreneurs, both based in Raleigh, and EntreDot, a Cary-based business mentoring organization. Kindred's incubator program provides the resources and tools needed for artisans to grow: a personal business mentor, access to business advisory panels, networking with design and fashion industry leaders, business workshops, and a retail space to showcase products. The boutique will serve as a testing ground for artisans to merchandise their products without the high cost of leasing a larger space, in the hopes that these businesses will expand into their own storefronts. It is being established via the Kickstarter fundraising platform, which has generated more than 30,000 creative projects since 2009.

All donations will go toward various outfitting efforts inside the boutique, including modular shelving units, lighting, a partition wall and signage. Donors of $5 or more will receive a gift pack, and donors of $500 or more will receive a plaque with his or her name under the modular shelving units. To learn more about the Kickstarter campaign or to donate, visit http://kck.st/QCuwtg.

QUOTES:
"We are excited to shine a spotlight on the talented artisan community in North Carolina," said Smith. "Our boutique will help local artisans be more successful in their craft and display their creative wealth as we educate them on how to expand their businesses."

ABOUT CARY INNOVATION CENTER:
The Cary Innovation Center is dedicated to supporting local entrepreneurs by fostering collaboration and offering business education and mentoring programs. Its "Six Steps to Success" program guides startup companies through ideation, conceptualization, creation, evaluation, preparation and commercialization in order to take their business idea to fruition. This disciplined approach, designed to optimize time while minimizing the potential cost of failure, greatly improves a business' chance of long-term success. The Cary Innovation Center is led by Bill Warner, co-founder of EntreDot and co-fund executive of the Inception Micro Angel Fund, and its team consists of seasoned professionals with years of experience in business leadership. The Cary Innovation Center is located at 201 W. Chatham St., Suite 204 in Cary, N.C. For more information, visit http://www.caryinnovationcenter.org.

ABOUT MICHELLE SMITH:
Michelle Smith is a pioneer in the handmade product movement in North Carolina, having founded the Rock & Shop Market in 2004, an event that features over 100 emerging designers selling their wares alongside bands, DJs and food trucks, the first event of its kind in the Triangle area. She is also the force behind indieNC, an organization that highlights North Carolina creative entrepreneurs through a blog, workshops and window displays. Finally, she is an established artisan whose multimedia textile art can be found on tea towels, fabric and paper products which are sold on her website (http://www.michelle-s.com) and in boutiques across the country. Her work has been featured in Real Simple magazine and Southern Living, among others. As the creative director of Kindred, she is helping to create a space that incubates and promotes other emerging artisans like herself with a focus on the entrepreneurs behind those products.

Emily Packard
MMI Public Relations
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