The Problem
Savannah doesn’t have a one-stop-shop for you to go to work on your business, showcase (and sell) your products and services, and collaborate with like-minded creators. We’re missing that truly diverse space that positions you to thrive in your personal and professional life.
The Solution
A multifunctional coffeehouse & artisan marketplace
The Culturist Union is where you go to create with other artists and artisans in Savannah. It’s a Black-owned multifunctional coffeehouse, community gathering spot, marketplace and business incubator that empowers creatives, entrepreneurs, and professionals. It’s where you go to grab a cup of coffee, get some work done, meet up with your friends or colleagues (or meet new ones), sell your products and services, host public or private events, purchase or donate used books, and gather the knowledge and resources to build and expand your business.
Our Mission
Our mission is to be the quintessential cultural hub for all things in the community. When you want to experiment, expand, or express your latest ideas, TCU is the place to go. It’s a marketplace for creators who are ready to become the best versions of themselves and understand that they can’t do it alone.
Our mantra “Take Up Space” is a loud invitation for those who are often ignored or overlooked to make their presence and their passions known in the world. To literally and figuratively create a space of their own to grow and thrive, while still honoring their authentic voice and style.
The TCU Experience
TCU serves as an incubator for local and visiting entrepreneurs, professionals, and creators to get into a flow in an authentic space that allows for creativity to blossom. TCU provides tools including brain fuel (coffee), an indoor and outdoor seating area, a podcast room, monthly business education workshops, and more for folks to learn and grow in their crafts, creating valuable goods and services to cycle back into our local economy.
Our New Location
Come see us at our new location: 702 Martin Luther King Blvd. Savannah, Ga, 31401
“Taking up space” is our mantra.
This is why our most recent project involves opening up the first brick and mortar location at 702 Martin Luther King, Blvd right across the street from Carver State Bank, on a street formerly known as the Black economic hub for Savannah, in an area that has since changed faces.
The Culturist Union's inspiration
A’LELIA BUNDLES/MADAM WALKER FAMILY ARCHIVES/COURTESY THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION
Sarah Breedlove, better known as Madam C.J. Walker, became the first self-made woman millionaire in America by creating and selling a successful line of hair care products. She also cultivated a roster of successful, trained saleswomen at a time when black women’s career options were severely limited.
In August of 1917, Walker hosted her first annual convention called The Madam C.J. Walker Hair Culturists Union of America, where she advocated for these women entrepreneurs to use their influence and financial independence to affect social and political change.
In Madam C.J. Walker’s community-building spirit, The Culturist Union creates a safe space where people of all merits can come together to create, cultivate, and collaborate, and, in doing so, actually make the world a better place—for the present and future.
How Your Contribution Helps
We believe in the power of community! By tapping into the hearts and minds of like-minded folx, together, we can ignite a chain of positive change for our world. All funds raised through iFundwomen will be used to:
- purchase necessary equipment and furniture
- hire part-time employees and full-time managers
- provide training for our employees
- create an epic-center for us all
Meet our founder
A proud alumna of Howard University and the Savannah College of Art and Design, Elbi Elm discovered her passion for managing creative spaces, using self-expression as a change agent, and community-building. Elbi founded The Culturist Union to equip creators with the necessary support, awareness, and confidence to improve their craft and their community.
She brings over 15 years of leadership to the table, including nine years in the U.S. Air Force. She’s served as the diversity marketing advisor and board member for several nonprofits, and publicly speaks on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Completing the Georgia Women’s Policy Institute fellowship positioned her as a strong advocate for creating positive policy change for Georgia’s women and girls. Elbi won best pitch of Savannah SCORE’s 2019 BizPitch competition, was selected for the American Express “100 for 100” program, and has been featured in several local and national publications including Savannah Morning News, Essence, and Black Enterprise.
