Nearly 200 Memphians Join Historic Clayborn Temple’s Growing Citywide Co-Op Movement
Nearly 200 aspiring entrepreneurs, creatives, and neighborhood leaders came out to two COIN Café mixers this season, demonstrating a powerful truth about Memphis: residents are eager to build community-owned businesses, strengthen their neighborhoods, and take control of their economic futures.
Hosted at ENCORE Events and Church Health Center at Crosstown Concourse, the mixers offered free refreshments and a welcoming space for Memphians to connect, form potential co-op groups, and meet the teams behind the Co-Op Opportunity for Inclusive Neighborhoods (COIN) program. Attendees also met The Big We CEO and Historic Clayborn Temple Executive Director Anasa Troutman, whose leadership in cultural strategy is helping shape a new landscape of community-centered entrepreneurship across the city.
Participants learned how co-ops function, what shared ownership makes possible, and how the free 20-week accelerator provides the tools and guidance needed to launch a sustainable cooperative business.
“People were forming teams, lifting one another up, and realizing they don’t have to build alone,” said Director of Programs Sameka Johnson. “The turnout told me Memphis is ready.”
COIN is rooted in the legacy of Historic Clayborn Temple, a site long known for community connection and collective action. During the Civil Rights Movement, Clayborn served as a gathering place where Memphians organized, strategized, and protected their communities. As Sameka shared, “Clayborn Temple was a safe haven where people came together to build collective power, and we can continue that work today.”
Despite the April 2025 arson, Clayborn Temple remains active through programs that advance economic power and cultural strategy while the site moves toward its 2028 reopening. COIN is a key part of that mission, offering accessible pathways for residents to build businesses grounded in community need, shared ownership, and local wealth-building.
Support COIN and Other Clayborn Temple Programming
Programs like COIN are offered at no cost to participants and are made possible through community support. Your donation helps Historic Clayborn Temple continue providing opportunities that empower Memphis residents and strengthen our city’s economic future.
Your investment helps preserve a historic landmark and fuels the next generation of Memphis entrepreneurs. To donate to our programming, click the button below!