The House Where Up Starts.
Sparkhouse Charlotte by Do Greater is coming! Soon Uptown Charlotte will welcome a transformative space designed to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs, innovators, and creators. It’s where your start up, starts.
We’re moving toward the end of construction for Sparkhouse Charlotte Uptown. This isn’t just another project; it’s a vital investment in Charlotte’s future. Sparkhouse Charlotte Uptown will be the only space in the city that connects Uptown’s economic power with under-resourced communities, creating new pathways for education, entrepreneurship, and upward mobility.
Join us on Juneteenth (Friday, June 19) as we celebrate the grand opening of the House Where Up Starts—Sparkhouse Charlotte!
Access To Quality Tools And Technology
It all begins with an idea. But without access to advanced technology, you can’t move those great ideas toward impact.
Creative Spaces To Pursue Your Passion
Space Inspires. It boosts our creative confidence. Creative spaces create the conditions for well-being – leading to happier people.
Nurturing Community To Motivate & Support
A community helping underserved youth discover what they can do and who they can become through the power of creativity.
PROGRAMS
Our spaces are hubs for learning. Whether in the Mobile Sparkhouse or the physical space, all are equipped with modern digital technology to provide educational opportunities centered around creativity, technology, and entrepreneurship across multiple interests including graphic design, video production, photography and more.
Register for 2026 Summer Camps
- Registration is currently open for Design to Dollars Art Camp, Camp Playmaker Game Design and Project Pipeline, an Architectural Design camp
- Classes are filling up fast, so register today!
Other Programs at the Sparkhouse Charlotte
Start Upward
Start Upward is a free entrepreneurship after-school program that helps teens find their passions through generating, testing, and launching ideas. Spend 10 weeks learning how to turn ideas into action, hearing from local entrepreneurs and building a business.
Middle to High School
For More Information on Start Upward and other programs, email kelsey@dogreater.org
Art of DJing
Do Greater Charlotte and Backspinz are teaming up to bring you The Art of DJing. Learn “What is a DJ?”, the history of DJing, and how to develop skills on the technical and business side of DJing. Interact with guest DJs and get hands-on experience as they provide practical perspectives to the art of DJ’ing.
Middle to High School
For More Information on the Art of DJing and other programs, email kelsey@dogreater.org
Design-a-thon
The Design-a-thon is a weekend-long event for teens to learn the design-thinking process through creating solutions to community challenges. Students will be challenged to work in teams to create solutions to a real community problem. The event is open to high school students in Charlotte and is free for students to participate in. It is an amazing opportunity for students to learn new skills, have fun, and make a positive impact in their community.
High School
Summer Camps
Regitration is Open for Summer Camp ’26 at Do Greater Charlotte. It’s the Summer of Design starting with Design to Dollars Art Camp , a hands-on camp where middle/high school students bring their ideas to life. Camp Playmaker starts in July, 3 weeks of students learning to design, prototype, and playtest their own physical game, and we will culminate the summer with Project Pipeling where students will dive into the world of architecture.
Middle to High School
Sparkhouse Charlotte by Do Greater
Building Creative Confidence in Youth
Igniting Creativity
We are extremely excited about the new brand of our creative labs. For 4 years, Sparkhouse West, has been an innovative space located on the bottom level of Shiloh Institutional Baptist Church. Our focus from the beginning was to create spaces that offer quality technology, a creative environment that inspires, and a nurturing community of support for underserved youth. We started with the Mobile CRTVLab and now Sparkhouse West, an 8,000 sq. ft. innovation and creativity hub will continue to serve our youth.
These creative spaces allows Do Greater Charlotte to continue to move ahead with the promise to ignite creativity and empower youth in underserved communities to turn their ideas into opportunities.
Sparkhouse West at Do Greater
Sparkhouse West is an 8,000 sq. ft. innovation and creativity hub for youth. It’s where creative confidence is built in students through exposure to design, entrepreneurship, and innovative technology so they can turn their ideas into opportunities. Designed with the student in mind, the Sparkhouse West is purposed to ignite that creative spark in students with exciting programing, 4 design studios (music production, video production, photography and a podcast studio). The coworking, colearning vibe creates a safe and comfortable place for youth to learn, engage and create. In our TechHub, youth can prototype using tools, 3D printers and cutting machines. During school hours, Sparkhouse is open to the community for coworking, meetings and events.
Do Greater Mobile CRTVLab
In the fall of 2019, the Do Greater Charlotte Mobile Creative Lab (CRTVLab) rolled onto the scene. A former Lance cookie truck, the Mobile CRTVLab was the vision of William McNeely, the founder of Do Greater Charlotte. It is a technology classroom on wheels, providing free education services to middle and high schools on the westside of Charlotte, and serving the community at large. If you would like for the Mobile CRTVLab to bring Creative Lab programming to your school or event, email, kelsey@dogreater.org for more information.
Sparkhouse Coffee
A Blend of Coffee & Creativity
SOMETHING’S BREWING.
Sparkhouse West is outfitted with a full-service coffee shop—Sparkhouse Coffee. Sparkhouse Coffee is a non-profit coffee shop where all of the proceeds benefit our programs. Sparkhouse Coffee offers a high-quality coffee experience in the Camp Greene neighborhood in west Charlotte.
Hours: M-F, 8-2pm
our why
“For every young person with a bright spark of hope and a pathway for his or her future, there is another, not so far away, living day to day without the necessities to light his or her own path.”
Charlotte Mecklenburg Opportunity Task Force
William “Coach Mac” McNeely – Founder
William McNeely, a Charlotte, NC native, is an entrepreneur, non-profit executive, and former Apple Market Development Executive and Educator with a career that has encompassed the technology, marketing, and education sectors.
Driven by his commitment to aiding others, McNeely departed from corporate america following a double lung transplant to establish Do Greater Charlotte. This endeavor enables him to leverage his distinctive skill set to guide students in discovering their passions and crafting tangible paths to achieve academic and career objectives.
William has devoted himself to inspiring individuals to pursue greater things and make a greater impact on the lives others.
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Contact Us.
Do Greater Charlotte
2400 Greenland Ave
Charlotte, NC 28208
info@dogreater.org
