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KINGSPORT – After two years at its 714 W. Walnut Street location in Johnson City, Create Appalachia is consolidating its operations and moving its day-to-day activities to its headquarters in Downtown Kingsport, located at 225 W. Center Street.

Create Appalachia, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2014, focuses on fostering a community of entrepreneurial digital media workers and increasing awareness of their impact on the region’s economy. The organization provides affordable coworking and business incubation spaces tailored for creative professionals, as well as professional development opportunities and educational programs for adults and youth.

“We will continue to build programs and partnerships in Johnson City,” said Katie Hoffman, Executive Director of Create Appalachia. “Leaving this physical building does not mean we are leaving the Johnson City community. Logistically, we think it’s wise to consolidate our physical operations in Kingsport, where we have a strong partnership with the City and where we’ve seen promising growth in our coworking and private office spaces.”

Hoffman emphasized that the move would allow the organization to focus on programming, including digital art and media classes for youth, professional development for adult creative entrepreneurs, and expanded outreach across its 33-county service area.

For the past two years, Tennessee Hills Distillery has hosted and sponsored Create Appalachia’s Johnson City location. Hoffman expressed gratitude for their partnership.

“We are deeply grateful to Tennessee Hills Distillery for sponsoring our location and providing us a space to grow over the past two years,” Hoffman said. “Their support has been invaluable to Create Appalachia. We truly appreciate their partnership.”

Create Appalachia’s mission centers on enhancing the region’s economic vitality by supporting creativity-driven innovation and entrepreneurship. Through its coworking spaces and educational initiatives, the organization aims to build a network of creative entrepreneurs who generate new businesses, create jobs, and contribute to the region’s growth in arts-based industries.

For more information about Create Appalachia and its programs, visit createappalachia.org.