Creative Enterprise Microfinance Fund Launched

Microfinance Focus, June 4, 2010: With a joint mission of fostering the growth of creative economy, The Institute for Arts Entrepreneurship (IAE) and Gorilla Tango Financial have yesterday announced a strategic partnership to provide up to $10,000 of financing to qualified creative enterprise start-ups, small or medium businesses that have successfully completed The IAE’s 2-week business plan development workshop known as Creative Enterprise Boost Camp. 

The IAE and Gorilla Tango Financial are uniquely positioned to help those in art, design, fashion, film, music, performing arts, and publishing to realize their creative vision through educational training, mentorship and access to capital. The Institute for Arts Entrepreneurship™ is a two-year program to teach artists how to earn a living. With a curriculum that combines experiential learning, mentorship and a personalized classroom environment that provides one-on-one time with the faculty of successful artist-entrepreneurs, artists are taught how to build their own arts based business while still in school.

“We have secured $100,000 as our startup/beta stage funding and we are looking to place this entire amount into various projects in 2010,” said, Dan Abbate, CEO of Gorilla Tango Financial and president of Gorilla Tango Theatre. “Our mission has always been to foster the growth of new and exciting productions in our theater in a sustainable and profitable manner. We are looking to expand that mission through Gorilla Tango Financial, which will supply advances, loans, investment and other types of venture capital to support small, medium and large entertainment projects in any media.”

“At The IAE we support the development of creative individuals by teaching them how to build profitable small businesses. Our students need not only the business experience, education and mentorship we offer to them but  access to non-traditional sources of funding to be able to make the difference they seek to make in the world,” says Lisa Canning, executive director of The Institute for Arts Entrepreneurship. “We are incredibly excited about the opportunities this partnership holds for our students to not only learn the skills they need to thrive through our programs, but have access to the capital they need to launch their businesses.”

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