October 9, 2025
Rollins transformed a vacant building into a hub for small business
When gentrification forced her natural hair salon out of its home in Southwest Atlanta, Kiyomi Rollins turned displacement into determination. She founded The Ke’nekt Cooperative, transforming a vacant building into a bustling hub for more than 150 Black-owned businesses, creatives, and neighbors. Now, Rollins is raising millions to buy land and build a 20,000-square-foot eco-resilient campus.
Rollins envisions the new Ke’nekt Cooperative campus as a “warm hug” figuratively and literally. The “Black-liberated third space” is designed to wrap a community in its arms, providing lifesaving resources and community connection. Rollins sat with BLACK ENTERPRISE to talk about the Ke’nekt’s inception and future. She is determined to ensure that the community not only survives but thrives.
What does that term “Black-liberated third space” mean to you, and how does it shape the cooperative’s identity?
The fifth or seventh time I heard a white man reference a third space, it felt very Christopher Columbus. We already had these spaces. A third space is simply where the community gathers to exchange ideas.
For us, that has always been the barber shop, nail salon, the park where the brothers are playing ball, the church steps where your mom and dad are talking an hour after service. The Ke’nekt celebrates that tradition. We’ve created a beautiful, intergenerational space where our culture is reinforced and taught. Every first Friday we host Senior Connections, where young folks help elders with digital support. Walking into The Ke’nekt is like walking into a space that reminds you to speak, to connect, to be seen.
How did the Good Hair Shop’s eviction transform into launching The Ke’nekt Cooperative?
The Ke’nekt is absolutely a trauma response. As a Black woman entrepreneur, I didn’t have the luxury to pause. I had to figure out how to feed my family. I found a vacant building. Instead of just moving my salon there, I made a commitment to bring multiple businesses into the space. People brought furniture, tables and chairs. We raised $75,000 and built it out.
How does The Ke’nekt gather and distribute resources to small businesses?
We are about to launch the third round of our microfinance cooperative, deploying $250,000 to about 20 Black-owned businesses. In the first round, we modeled it after a traditional susu — where a group pools money and one person gets the pot each month — but with corporate partner-matching funds so the payout was larger.
We’ve grown from microgrants to microloans with very easy terms — 2% interest, six-month deferment, and built-in technical assistance.
Tell us about your “One Acre for Change” campaign which aims to raise $2.4 million for land acquisition and $5 million for construction?
We are full in this building — we’ve outgrown it. The only thing that truly matters at the end of the day is land. We don’t own The Ke’nekt. This campaign is about building permanence.
Our plans include 10 affordable commercial units, workforce housing, a performing arts space, a gym, and hopefully a clinic on-site. This is also about environmental justice. Our neighborhood is a heat index. This campus will have green infrastructure and create workforce opportunities in sustainability for young people.
What is your hope for The Ke’nekt Cooperative and its future?
Ownership. Permanence. A model that other communities can replicate. Our deck and plans are public because we want others to learn from us and build their own eco-resilient commercial districts.
As The Ke’nekt enters its next phase, its mission extends beyond southwest Atlanta. The cooperative is positioning itself as a model for community-driven development nationwide, a blueprint for Black neighborhoods to own land, protect culture, and shape their futures on their own terms.
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