Introducing the 2021 Providence Design Catalyst program graduates

Ten micro design businesses recently graduated from the 2021 Providence Design Catalyst program, a five-month experience that provides each company with up to $15,000 in grant funding, business mentorship and business training.

The program is run by DESIGNxRI, a nonprofit that seeks to encourage and promote opportunities for designers, design businesses, and the design sector in the Ocean State. Funding for the program, which is intended for early-stage micro-businesses, comes from a Community Development Block Grant from the city of Providence. 

“The goal here is that you’ve got four or five months; you've got maybe $10,000 or $15,000 to invest in yourself and your business in the right way, and in a way that will help you grow over time,” said Lisa Carnevale, executive director of DESIGNxRI. “So the name Design Catalyst is actually about catalyzing business growth. During the time they are with us, they are catalyzing a good trajectory for themselves.” 

Since 2015, 60 design and creative businesses have gone through the Providence Design Catalyst program. These companies have received more than $1 million in direct grants and there has been total program investment of $1.3 million.

Rue Sakayama

The 10 graduates from the 2021 program encompass a wide array of design fields including jewelry design, sound design, community design, ceramics, e-commerce marketplace, glass, videography, and a collaborative print shop. They are:

Since 2015, 60 design and creative businesses have gone through the Providence Design Catalyst program. These companies have received more than $1 million in direct grants and there has been total program investment of $1.3 million.   

Carnevale said each entrepreneur comes into the program with certain milestones they want to achieve. 

The businesses then get a business mentor to help them reach those milestones, and the cohort members also go through training in areas such as entrepreneurship, operations, financing, marketing, and business development. The hope, said Carnevale, is that the training may lead to entrepreneurs changing their milestones that put them on an even better trajectory to succeed.

Following the program, DESIGNxRI checks in with each graduate to see how they are doing, and Carnevale said there is typically some real progress such as growth in revenue, a full-time staff, and office space.

Carnevale said one previous Design Catalyst company got featured on the Ellen DeGeneres show. Others graduated from the program and then were able to grow revenue enough to qualify for and get into the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, another initiative that helps small businesses grow.

Carnevale said the ultimate goal with the Providence Design Catalyst program is to take a bootstrapped small business with some momentum, and really turn it into a sustainable and independent enterprise.

“It’s maybe a little different then the kind of more traditional venture space we think about to scale and sell,” she said. “These are businesses and business owners where this is their life. This is what they want to do in life, so they want to find a way to be super successful doing it and hiring more people and affecting the local economy.”