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Entrepreneurs building entrepreneurs

Building Businesses,
People, and Possibility

echo is a third space in downtown Durham where small business owners and entrepreneurs learn, earn, and invest in one another. Partner in the work, join the community, or bring your event to our space.

Partner · Become a member · Rent · 404 Hunt St., Downtown Durham

Portrait of an ambitious underrepresented young founder and community leader

Why echo

The Growth Is Real. So Is the Gap.

Not symbolic participation. A working economy.

echo's Entrepreneurs Building Entrepreneurs model

The Triangle's economy is booming, but the benefits aren't shared equally. Founders from historically overlooked communities face higher barriers to capital, thinner networks, and support that is often transactional and short-lived. Young people in those same neighborhoods rarely find paid, real-world paths into leadership and ownership.

echo closes that gap by starting with community. Teens intern with adult founders. Founders mentor and hire teens. Membership fees and earned revenue go back into the community as stipends, grants, and paid contracts. Whether you partner, join, or rent our space, your support stays in Durham and keeps working.

Tailored Learning: cohorts, labs, and workshops for every stage, from teens exploring ideas to adults growing established businesses.

Trusted Relationships: near-peer mentorship, founder circles, and a culture where asking for help is expected.

Access to Capital: stipends, grants, contracts, and open doors.

404 HUNT ST. · DOWNTOWN DURHAM

A Third Space Built for Building

Support first, space second. A community center where entrepreneurs, mentors, and partners work side by side. Free parking for members in Downtown Durham.

THREE WAYS IN

Choose How You Build With Us

Fund the model, join the community, or host your next gathering at echo. Every path puts capital back into Durham's entrepreneurs and young people.

FOR COMPANIES & PARTNERS

Become a Partner

From $500 / 2026 Partnerships

Underwrite a working economy where teens and founders learn, earn, and invest in one another. Six levels, from powering the room to anchoring the model.

  • Six levels, from $500 to $50,000

  • Every level funds a specific part of the model

  • Corporate gifts invoiced directly

  • ACH, wire, check, DAF grant, stock, or matching gifts

  • Invoice, W-9, and agreement within two business days

FOR ENTREPRENEURS

Become a Member

$97 / month or start free

One membership with everything included. Consistent support, deeper learning, and a community that helps you follow through.

  • Free parking at 404 Hunt St.

  • EBE Huddles and Expert Champions

  • Two 60-minute EBE Boost advisory sessions a month

  • Pitch & Prosper, Community Spotlight, and The Audacity podcast

  • Member pricing on workshops, the Incubator, and space rental

  • Month to month, cancel anytime

FOR ORGANIZATIONS & EVENTS

FOR ORGANIZATIONS & EVENTS

Rent Our Space

From $60 / hour · members save up to 50%

Host your meeting, workshop, training, or community event in downtown Durham. Your rental fee supports echo's work with young people and founders.

  • Conference / Workshop Space and Community Space

  • Podcast and Media Studios

  • Hourly, half-day, and full-day rates

  • Members save about 50% on most rates

  • Mission-aligned pricing for youth-serving organizations

  • Downtown Durham location

2026 PARTNERSHIPS

Choose what you want to make possible

Community Table

$500

You power the room itself: open doors, shared tables, belonging.

Founding Friends

$1,000

You fund one founder's next step: tools, coaching, momentum.

Prosperity Partners

$2,500

You underwrite tailored learning, from teen labs to founder cohorts.

Community Champions

$5,000

You expand mentorship and the connectors who unlock capital.

Legacy Builders

$25,000

You fuel the circular economy of youth and adults.

Visionary Ally

$50,000

You anchor the model here, and make it portable beyond Durham.

Giving $5,000 or more, or sponsoring as a company?

Most corporate gifts don't run through online forms. We'll invoice your organization directly and accept ACH, wire, check, DAF grant, stock, or matching gifts. Email your level, company name, billing contact, and mailing address to [email protected]. Your invoice, W-9, and agreement follow within two business days.

ECHO MEMBERSHIP

One Membership. Everything Included.

No tiers and no upgrades to unlock later. You pay based on who you're building with, and you get everything from day one.

Solo

$97/month

One founder, one business

Duo

$155/month

Two founders on the same venture

Corporate

$300/month

Companies investing in their people and their ecosystem

Youth Organization

$150/month

Non-profits serving young people

What's included

Bought separately in the Triangle, this bundle runs about $480 a month. At echo it's $97.

  • Free parking

  • EBE Huddles

  • Two 60-minute EBE Boost advisory sessions a month

  • The Learning Library

  • The member directory

  • Priority program access and entry to Pitch & Prosper

  • A Community Spotlight placement on echo's website

  • A spot on The Audacity podcast,

  • Member pricing on Workshops and the Incubator, and

  • Discounted space rental.

Not ready to pay? Join the echo Community for free. You get resources, events, and updates.

Want to try first? Spend a day with us for $25. If you join within seven days, it's credited toward your first month.

RENT OUR SPACE

Host Your Next Gathering at echo

Meetings, workshops, trainings, and community events, below market rate in Downtown Durham

Portrait of Maya Lin, Youth Fellow

Conference Room

Seats 12 with projection. Built for board meetings and pitch practice, but just as good for a strategy retreat, a book club, or a fantasy football draft.

Portrait of Marcus Vance, Community Organizer

Training/Workshop Room

Seats 12 with in-room tech. Run a training or class, or get hands-on: a vision-board night, a sneaker-customizing class, a résumé clinic, or a teen coding jam.

Community Space for rent in Durham, below market rate

Community Space

About 3,000 sq. ft of open, flexible space. Host a pop-up market, product launch party, film screening, open mic, or family game night, with a catering kitchen on-site.

Podcast Room for Rent, below market rate

Podcast Recording Studio

Up to four people, with four mics, studio headphones, lighting, and RØDE Connect. Record your podcast, a radio-style interview, a family oral history, or a voiceover demo.

Free Parking · SmartBoards and Speakers · Catering Kitchen · On-site Security

Youth-serving organizations: ask us about mission-aligned pricing before you book.

IN THEIR WORDS

Stories From Inside echo

Founders, teens, partners, and neighbors on what happens when a community invests in itself.

Youth Teen Entrepreneur Echo Durham

"Teens often feel powerless due to limited resources, but echo showed me that small efforts, like the Teens Tackle Hunger campaign, create real change step-by-step."

Michelle Ramirez


Youth founder and participant

Entrepreneur Founder echo

“It's truly fulfilling to

support echo and have the opportunity to plant seeds for businesses and leaders that will shape Durham's economic future for decades to come.”

Larry Long Jr.

Founder and CEO LLRJ Enterprises

echo founder small business

"This supportive community is like no other. Meeting weekly to share ideas cures the loneliness of entrepreneurship. Being with like-minded people here is priceless."

Jessica Booker

Founder, Integrity Ink Administrative & Mobile Notary Services LLC

echo founder small business

"Before echo, I felt lost and overwhelmed by information. Participating in echo’s programs built my confidence by breaking down complex skills into manageable steps."

Anna Bloodworth

Founder, Worth Wisdom Angelical Reiki

Possibility Is Built Together. Build It With Us.

Invest capital as a partner, join a community of founders, or bring your people to our space. Every path builds businesses, people, and possibility in the Triangle.

Not sure where you fit? Click here to start the conversation