As we close out 2023, we can’t help but look back on the year fondly. Through our commitment to supporting entrepreneurs and building a thriving community in Denton, we’ve been able to do some really cool things this year. 2023 was a year of growth and learning at Stoke, a theme that’s been present throughout our programming over the past few months. And to top it all off, we saw our community grow and watched connections form between Stoke members through new offerings and member events. Here are some of our highlights:
FlintConf:
This year’s FlintConf, Denton’s annual conference for creatives, techies, and entrepreneurs, marked five years of the Stoke conference. The event was held at Sunago Bell, the top floor of the Wells Fargo building on the square, for the second year in a row. With breathtaking views of Denton as a backdrop, the space provided an inspiring setting for the exchange of ideas.Throughout the day, a full room of attendees had the privilege of absorbing the experiences and expertise shared by our distinguished speakers and panelists - topics ranging from How to Social Media Good to a Creative Economy Panel to Purposeful Design. The enthusiasm peaked during a rapid-fire Big Ideas pitch, where attendees passionately articulated their visions for Denton, adding an extra layer of excitement to the event. A special acknowledgment to our generous sponsors—TWU Center for Women Entrepreneurs, City of Denton, and Wallace Accounting and Advisory—who played a crucial role in making this day possible. We also extend our gratitude to Will Milne for beautifully capturing the essence of the day's events through his photography and to The Chestnut Tree for the lovely lunch spread.
AccelerateHER Cohort:
Since 2020, Stoke has partnered with TWU Center for Women Entrepreneurs for the AccelerateHER incubator program. To date, this program has played a pivotal role in incubating 28 local small businesses–of the 28 women-owned businesses to pass through the program, 37.5% have been BIPOC owned and 12% were LGBTQ+ owned.
Participants in the cohort have the opportunity to receive business coaching from program manager Juli James and Stoke Executive Director Heather Gregory. Heather is an ecosystem builder, place maker, community organizer, and entrepreneur. In her time at Stoke, she has launched programs and events that help entrepreneurs connect with the people, knowledge, and resources they need to move their businesses forward. Juli, writer, web developer, business strategist and an alumna from the first AccelerateHER cohort, uses her unique blend of experience to help entrepreneurs and small businesses innovate and succeed.
The entrepreneurs in the program could schedule 30 minute objective based sessions and over the course of the past 4 months, Juli & Heather have provided 23 sessions, totaling 11.5 hours.
Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEWNTX):
For the last five years, Stoke has participated in GEW by hosting both in person and virtual events that celebrate and support entrepreneurship in our community. In 2023, we started participating in GEWNTX's organizing committee, marking another milestone. This year’s theme–‘Entrepreneurs Thrive Here’ – really resonated with us considering, well, that’s kind of our whole mission here in Denton. GEW is a big deal for us and we went all out with a week of free events for Denton entrepreneurs and creatives. The lineup for the week consisted of a Fireside Chat, Coffee + Convo, Big Ideas: a Creative Mixer, the return of the Denton Pitch Competition, and of course plenty of free coworking opportunities.
Denton Pitch Competition:
Having launched the Denton Pitch Competition last year, in 2022, in partnership with the City of Denton - this year’s event was highly anticipated and saw a couple key differences from its first iteration. The major one being it was open to a public audience and it was a sold out event. 100 Dentonites and small business supporters joined us at Sunago Bell to cheer on the pitching entrepreneurs. Alongside the pitch competition was the Entrepreneur Expo, where we had 12 entrepreneurs set up to showcase their businesses for the night.
We witnessed a remarkable 50% increase in applications compared to the previous year, demonstrating a growing interest and trust in our programs. Of the applicants, 16 are chosen to receive free coaching sessions to prepare for pitching and ensure they’re on stable footing when they take their chance to pitch for cash.
Leading up to the day of the event, the 16 prospective pitchers had the opportunity to schedule sessions with Juli or Heather. They were able to ask questions, obtain a deeper understanding of what’s expected in a business pitch, get feedback on their pitch decks, and practice pitching. That’s not to mention the level of moral support felt when someone is willing to listen to your problems and help you work through them. Combined, Juli and Heather spent 27+ hours coaching this year’s Denton Pitch Competition hopefuls.
Of the 10 finalists, 70% were women-owned businesses, 40% BIPOC, and 10% were LGBTQ+ owned. The winners were:
1st Place
Danielle Sibley - Speak Easy Speech Therapy
2nd Place
Betz Baker and Lois Robertson - Triptych Coffee Co.
3rd Place
Dave Weaver - Goldenroot Gingerbeer
Over the two years, Stoke has provided pitch coaching to 32 Denton-based entrepreneurs and - through a partnership with the City of Denton - contributed a total $20,000 to local businesses, fostering growth and innovation in the Denton entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Community:
This year saw lots of new faces coming through the Stoke doors, we also saw some familiar ones returning to the workspace. We’ve witnessed reunions and new friendships form over the last few months and the space feels brighter because of it.
A big hit with our community this year has been our collaboration with Triptych Coffee Co. They’ve been hosting pop-ups in the space and while the easy access to fun coffee drinks is almost reason enough, it’s been an awesome way to express our support for small businesses.
In response to the evolving needs of our larger community and wanting to increase accessibility to Stoke membership, we introduced the Community Membership level. A coworking membership for when you don’t need a lot and you just want to be here working in community with others.
Our member events have remained a cornerstone of our community, offering regular opportunities for connection and collaboration. From monthly happy hours and member huddles that provide a casual backdrop for networking to larger, more festive gatherings like the cheese party and holiday potlucks, Stoke members have continued to find occasions to come together, share experiences, and build lasting relationships. As we reflect on the growth and vibrancy of our community this year, we're excited about the future and the continued connections that will shape the Stoke experience.
Photo by Juniper Saint Butcher
“I am so proud of the work we do at Stoke, and the team that we have in place. The team does such a great job caring for our people and our community, in ways that are thoughtful, caring, creative, and fun. Through the education and support that we provide to entrepreneurs to the welcoming work environment we create in our coworking space, we are working every day to make a positive impact in Denton.” said Executive Director Heather Gregory, and that pretty perfectly sums it up. We can’t wait to see what 2024 brings and we’re so excited to continue doing what we do best - bringing community to remote work and entrepreneurship.