What does it mean to turn dreams into reality? For so many young people in Charlotte, their boundless imaginations simply need the right resources in place to create the world they’ve always dreamed of. The team at Do Greater is building bright futures for young people in Charlotte, ensuring they have the essential education, tools and connections to today’s leaders so they can become even stronger leaders tomorrow. I sat down with Do Greater’s founder, William McNeely, and educational program director, Kelsey Van Dyke, to talk about the Do Greater Creative Lab Uptown and how this new space will empower the next generation of innovators.
William McNeely: At Do Greater, we believe potential is everywhere — but opportunity isn’t. My role is to make sure the spark of creativity that exists in every young person gets the space, tools, and guidance it deserves to grow. Powering potential is about transforming access into activation. It’s about taking an idea, a skill, or even just a spark of curiosity, and building the systems that remove friction to turn that into opportunity. Whether through our Creative Labs, youth programs, or entrepreneurship training, we’re helping people not just discover their potential — but use it to create something meaningful.
Kelsey Van Dyke: For me, powering potential is about what happens after that spark is lit — it’s helping young people see what’s possible for themselves and giving them the confidence and community to take the next step. In my role, that means designing programs and experiences that help students connect what they’re learning to real-world opportunities. Sometimes it’s teaching a new skill, but more often, it’s about creating moments of belonging — where students feel seen, supported, and capable of trying something new. When they realize their ideas have value and their voices matter, you can almost see their posture change.
William McNeely: The Creative Lab Uptown is our flagship space, a 20,000-square-foot mobility hub designed to connect youth, creatives, emerging entrepreneurs, and corporations across lines of class and opportunity. It’s more than a building; it’s an ecosystem for creativity, innovation, and connection.
Inside, you’ll find studios for digital design, photography, videography, and screen printing, as well as co-working spaces, classrooms, a full coffee shop, and open areas designed for collaboration. Members of the community will be able to attend workshops, mentor students, host events, or simply grab a coffee and connect. It’s a space designed for creative collisions. A place where creativity meets opportunity, and where ideas move from possibility to mobility.
Kelsey Van Dyke: For me, building the Creative Lab in Uptown is about giving young people proximity to possibility. We’ve had students who’ve lived their entire lives in Charlotte but had never set foot in Uptown until we brought them through one of our programs. One student even told us that one of his life goals was to see the view from the top of one of those skyscrapers—and we were able to make that happen. Another student shared that when walking into a corporate office for the first time, she felt like she was on a movie set, and it completely changed how she imagined her future.
Those moments are powerful reminders of why being Uptown matters. It’s not just about geography, it’s about access. When young people see themselves in the center of the city, surrounded by creativity, business, and innovation, something clicks. They start to realize that these spaces aren’t off-limits—they’re theirs too. The Creative Lab Uptown is about creating more of those moments, so these experiences aren’t once-in-a-lifetime—they’re the starting point.
William McNeely: We see the Creative Lab Uptown as Charlotte’s front door for creative opportunity. It’s a space that invites everyone in — students, educators, entrepreneurs, and innovators — to collaborate on building a more connected, equitable city. By offering programs in entrepreneurship, creative trades, and innovation, we’re equipping our next generation with the skills and confidence to thrive. At the same time, we’re giving companies and civic partners a place to invest directly in the future workforce of Charlotte.
Kelsey Van Dyke: What excites me most is the potential this space has to create a deep sense of belonging. I can already picture students walking through the doors and immediately feeling like this is a place where they’re meant to be — a place where their creativity, curiosity, and ideas matter. I imagine starting my day with coffee in the Showroom, surrounded by students connecting with mentors, collaborating with peers, and building the kind of relationships that open doors.
For so many of our students, social capital and access are the missing links between potential and opportunity. The Creative Lab will change that. It’s where students will not only learn and create but also begin to see themselves as part of Charlotte’s creative and innovation community. That connectedness — social, economic, and personal — is what excites me most.
William McNeely: To live greatly means to live on purpose and to move that purpose into action that impacts the lives of others. It’s understanding that we’re all here to make our community better because we live in it. Living greatly isn’t about the buildings we construct or the programs we run; it’s about the lives changed because of them. It’s about creating access where there wasn’t any, hope where there was none, and opportunity where people had stopped looking for it. To live greatly is to use your gifts, your creativity, and your influence to do something that matters — something that lifts others and lasts beyond you.
Kelsey Van Dyke: To me, living greatly means moving beyond the daily worries and leaning into curiosity. It’s about having the freedom and space — mentally, emotionally, and practically — to explore, to learn, and to follow what lights you up. When you feel safe, supported, and connected, you can shape a life that’s truly your own. Living greatly is about agency, the ability to shape your world in a way that reflects who you are, not what’s expected of you. It’s about feeling connected to others, and sharing moments, both the big milestones and small everyday moments, and being moved to do something beyond yourself. And when you live that way, with authenticity, wonder, and joy, you invite others to do the same.