2026 – 2027 creative community connector

ShantÉ Renee

Shanté Renee is a community connector, entrepreneur ecosystem builder, and spoken word artist committed to creating spaces where people, ideas, creativity, and opportunity can meet. 

A Philadelphia native who has called Greensboro home for many years. Shanté has spent her career building bridges across creative, entrepreneurial, and community spaces. She is the program lead & visionary for Side Hustle University, an initiative supporting emerging entrepreneurs and creatives through connection, education, resources, and visibility. Her work has also included producing community markets, cultural festivals, artist showcases, workshops, and collaborative programs throughout the Triad.

SIDE HUSTLE UNIVERSITY (SHU)

Side Hustle University (SHU) is a community-rooted entrepreneur ecosystem designed to support grassroots entrepreneurs, creatives, and working-class visionaries who are building businesses while juggling jobs, families, and real life. Born from over a decade of managing The People’s Market in Greensboro, SHU represents a natural evolution from a seasonal farmers market to a year‑round infrastructure that nurtures ideas into income.

This work is personal. It is built by and for people who have historically been under-resourced but not under-talented. Side Hustle University exists to meet entrepreneurs where they are, honor their lived experience, and provide practical tools, access, and community to help them grow.

Side Hustle University + The Jeanne Tannenbaum Center for Creative Practice closes these gaps by creating an ecosystem where entrepreneurs can learn, connect, test ideas, and grow together. The goal here is sustainability rather than a one-off program.