Justus started with a story – a story of a participant who called us because she was selling T-shirts, and she wanted to see if we could help her promote her product. She needed additional revenue to pay her bills. Her T-shirt simply said, No. The “no” spoke to her life and history - no more homelessness, no more abuse. 

The Justus Cohort came from the idea that what StepUp Durham could most offer participants was access – access to our resources and networks. With The Justus Cohort, StepUp Durham entrepreneurs are matched with our marketing team to help create their brand. We pay our outside marketing firm to create a website and branding, social media audit and provide coaching. That “branding” is something that StepUp Durham can share with its network, providing a level of validation and amplification of the product and participant.  Our first Justus participant is April.