Across the Valley, young Black entrepreneurs and professionals are finding ways to shape Phoenix into their image.

They’re entering politics at all levels from school boards to the Statehouse. They’re creating online marketplaces to share news and launch businesses.

And they’re growing churches and starting nonprofits to address everything from spiritual and mental health to homelessness and education.

Now, there’s CultureHub, which bills itself as a place to harness and maximize the energy of these emerging leaders as Arizona's first Black-owned co-working space.

There’s a sign on the door that says “No egos allowed.”

And Chris Owens, CultureHub’s founder and CEO, added, “We have a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on (our website) ... ‘It’s a cruel gesture to tell a bootless person to pull themselves up by their bootstraps.’ ”

With that in mind, Owens has become a shoemaker of sorts, working to ensure that his community and its allies have a space to grow their businesses and ideas with likeminded entrepreneurs. He said he’s already marching toward progress.

“We’ve only been open five months, and we’ve already impacted four dozen businesses,” he said.

CultureHub’s members and tenants include an accountant, an intellectual........

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