2025-03-16T19:59:50Z 2024-12-31 990EZ 2024-01-01 823281642 ROYAL CITY COLLABORATION CORP ROYA 5501 Executive Center Dr Suite 213 Charlotte NC 28212 Khalif J Guiden Founder 2025-03-16 2024 2025-03-06 01:10:19Z X thecollaborationcorp.org X X 59236 X 37898 21338 59236 500 12334 6500 0 42330 61664 -2428 6278 3850 6278 3850 6278 3850 6278 3850 The Collaboration Corps primary exempt purpose is to empower underserved communities in Charlotte, NC, through arts, culture, and creative engagement. The organization engages local artists, curates meaningful experiences, and activates public spaces using music, visual art, and design to strengthen community connections. With a strong focus on uplifting Black and BIPOC residents, The Collaboration Corp provides accessible arts programming, fosters economic opportunities for creatives, and delivers culturally enriching experiences that inspire, educate, and unite. In recent years, the organization has also begun expanding its efforts to include the development of large-scale events and immersive experiences. This shift supports greater community impact, increased visibility for local talent, and organizational growth aimed at creating sustainable change through creativity. The Pulse Xperience is a two-day cultural festival designed to spotlight and celebrate Charlottes creative heartbeat, particularly within underrepresented communities. Hosted in the Opportunity Zone of the Block 2 area (North End, Sugar Creek, Hidden Valley), the event engaged over 2,500 community members and featured more than 75 local artists and creatives across music, dance, fashion, film, food, and visual art. The festival was led by BIPOC creatives and focused on centering Black and Brown voices, providing economic opportunities, and activating underutilized public spaces with immersive programming. In addition to performances, attendees experienced art installations, live DJ sets, pop-up vendor markets, and interactive workshops. Pulse Xperience created a vibrant and accessible platform for emerging and established talent while fostering community pride and engagement. 0 17305 In preparation for current and future large-scale community events, The Collaboration Corp provided a series of targeted trainings and planning sessions for its internal team and collaborating partners. These included grant writing workshops, sponsorship development, consultation meetings, digital marketing training, and organizational planning sessions. A total of 15 project team members, collaborators, and contractors benefited from this initiative. This program strengthened the organization's ability to deliver impactful programming at scale by building team capacity, improving operational workflows, and establishing clearer infrastructure for sustainable growth. These trainings were essential in ensuring the successful implementation of events like the Pulse Xperience and future expansion efforts. 10000 16422 The Connected Conversations Program was a hybrid speaker series designed to engage the public in thought-provoking dialogue around technology, art history, culture, and humanity. The program included both virtual events and in-person sessions at community spaces across Charlotte and surrounding areas. The series hosted 4 sessions and reached over 130 participants, providing free access to knowledge-sharing events that featured local artists, technologists, historians, and cultural thought leaders. These conversations aimed to bridge gaps between creative disciplines and real-world issues, fostering deeper understanding, curiosity, and community exchange. The program especially prioritized accessibility and equity, making sessions free of charge and available both live and virtually. 5000 5000 Program Materials Expenses: The organization has acquired a variety of materials to support upcoming community programs and events. These materials will be used in projects including but not limited to Crafts for the People, Sound Makers Social, and similar initiatives. Expenses in this category include: Art Supplies and Equipment: Materials for hands-on creative programming. Event Support Materials: Tables, chairs, signage, tents, and storage bins to support mobile and pop-up events. Marketing Materials: Pre-printed collateral, signage, and reusable materials for community engagement. Storage and Transportation Supplies: Organizational tools to transport and store materials safely between events. These material acquisitions are foundational to ensuring consistent, high-quality delivery of community-facing programming and outreach. 3603 42330 Khalif J Guiden Founder 30.00 850 ReeCee Respass Project Partner (PulseXperience Co-Founder) 30.00 1000 false false false false false false false false false NC Khalif Guiden 5501 Executive Center Dr Suite 213 1095 Charlotte NC 28212 7046546405 false false false false false false false false false false false false NONE 0 NONE 0 true X 0 0 0 0 0 57754 43898 101652 21338 21338 0 0 0 57754 65236 122990 0 0 0 122990 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 57754 65236 122990 X 1.00000 1.00000 0.00000 0.00000 RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED Part I, Line 10 Two grants were awarded as part of the Wave Starter Grant initiative, a program designed to support emerging creative talent in Charlotte, NC. The grants were distributed to two local artists to assist in the development and execution of their individual artistic projects. These funds were intended to foster creative growth, support professional advancement, and encourage local cultural production within the Charlotte arts community. Part I, Line 16 Program Service Accomplishments & Expense Detail Pulse Xperience Expenses: $17,305 Pulse Xperience is a two-day independent cultural festival held in the Opportunity Zone known as Block 2 in Charlotte, NC, encompassing neighborhoods such as North End, Sugar Creek, and Hidden Valley. The festival is led by local BIPOC creatives and is designed to uplift and celebrate Charlottes cultural heartbeat by showcasing emerging and established talent in music, art, dance, fashion, film, and cuisine. Beyond a typical festival, Pulse Xperience serves as an immersive cultural experience that centers Black and Brown voices, fosters community connection, and supports creative entrepreneurship. The initiative helps to activate underrepresented neighborhoods with dynamic programming and generate economic opportunity for local creatives. We raised money to match funds granted by NC Arts and Science Council to deliver the inaugural festival. The following are expense categories directly associated with Pulse Xperience: Venue Rental and Event Insurance: Costs related to securing event spaces, obtaining proper permits, and ensuring insurance coverage for public safety and liability. Ticketing Software: Utilized for attendee registration, digital check-ins, and ticket sales tracking. Direct Texting & Digital Marketing Software: Software platforms used for targeted communication, audience engagement, and promotional efforts. Immersive Experience Decorations and Materials: Includes set design, staging, lighting, signage, and other materials needed to enhance the visual and sensory components of the event. Branding & Physical Marketing Expenses: Costs for flyers, posters, banners, merchandise, branded collateral, and physical promotional campaigns. Artist Compensation: Payments and stipends made to participating performers, musicians, visual artists, and speakers. Event Planning & Management: Includes expenses related to event logistics, production team fees, scheduling, coordination, and overall project management. Organizational Training Expenses: $16,422 In preparation for scaling operations and managing large-scale projects such as the Pulse Xperience festival and other future initiatives, the organization invested in a series of professional development and capacity-building activities. These included: Workshops focused on grant writing, sponsorship proposals, nonprofit compliance, and long-term planning. Consultation Sessions with experts in event planning, nonprofit operations, and digital marketing. Team Training sessions that supported internal development for staff, contractors, and volunteers working on upcoming projects. Digital Marketing Training & Tools that enhanced the teams ability to promote events, reach audiences, and grow the organizations digital footprint. These trainings are integral to building organizational sustainability and enhancing the quality and reach of future programming. Connected Conversations: $5000 Program Materials Expenses: $3,603 The organization has acquired a variety of materials to support upcoming community programs and events. These materials will be used in projects including but not limited to Crafts for the People, Sound Makers Social, and similar initiatives. Expenses in this category include: Art Supplies and Equipment: Materials for hands-on creative programming. Event Support Materials: Tables, chairs, signage, tents, and storage bins to support mobile and pop-up events. Marketing Materials: Pre-printed collateral, signage, and reusable materials for community engagement. Storage and Transportation Supplies: Organizational tools to transport and store materials safely between events. These material acquisitions are foundational to ensuring consistent, high-quality delivery of community-facing programming and outreach. Part I, Line 8 Revenue generated in connection with the Pulse Xperience festival included: Ticket Sales: Proceeds from tickets sold to attendees of the two-day Pulse Xperience event covered event-related expenses and supported the continued development of community-centered cultural programming. Sponsorships: Contributions received from local businesses, organizations, and community partners who sponsored the event to support its mission to spotlight BIPOC creatives and activate underserved neighborhoods. Sponsorship packages included brand visibility, promotional opportunities, and alignment with a socially-driven cultural initiative. Individual Contributions: Additional revenue was received from individual donors and supporters who aligned with Pulse Xperience's mission and contributed voluntarily to support the event and its impact. All revenue received helped sustain the festival's operations, fairly compensate participating artists, and reinvest in the organizations future programs that uplift Charlottes diverse creative community.