An Innovation Hub for Black and Brown Creatives Grows in Brooklyn

When Goldie Harrison realized the level of frustration creative professionals experienced when trying to rent an event or workspace, she created 24:OURS Creative, described as an “innovation hub for black and brown creatives” on its website.

“I’ve been denied events because my theme was too urban or my events have been shut down because there were too many black people,” said Harrison. People won’t always couch it in those terms but it comes to a point, you understand and hear the coded language people use when speaking to you.” With this experience in mind, Harrison opened the Brooklyn, NY based location to accommodate the various needs of indie creators.

“The meaning of 24: OURS stems from owning each day,” says Harrison. Every day is ours. On any given weekday when the space is not booked, you’ll find the community members working on a variety of projects such as people planning their first photo shoot to creating an entire production.”

Leveraging her past experiences as a production manager for the Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival and artist relations lead at the A3C Festival, Harrison was well prepared to support the everyday hustle of a creative. When you’re an independent creative, you learn that you have to do what you can, with what you have, where you are. I’ve learned to create spaces and opportunities that had not existed before. In doing so, I always think about how I can benefit from the space and others too.”

Harrison’s first sign of success came with #NoiseControl, the music arm of 24:OURS, which started as small open mic night in Brooklyn, and then it grew into a larger indie concert series. The series not only allowed her and her team to travel, but it also opened international doors with events occurring in Europe later this year.

Relying on her biggest lessons learned to date, Harrison understands that building connections and creating a sense of belonging is often the tie that binds long-term success for a community-centric business. Beyond a music series and health and wellness events, 24:OURS Creative also has community partners and membership offers to provide entrepreneurs with the resources and support they need without putting a hole in their pockets.