Bay Area Reporter - September 6, 2007
Seth Hemmelgarn

"It was hard to tell clients what was wrong," he said of the time, which was a couple years ago. "It was very frustrating for me."

Lenhart, 44, spoke with a business consultant, and they realized that there were probably other HIV-positive design professionals who were losing work because of their illness.

The design collaborative Creative Core is the result of that conversation. The company, which incorporated July 31, offers print and web-based graphic design services such as branding, marketing and advertising, and design. They aim to act as mentors and support each other when health struggles arise. They also hope people in other fields will be inspired to form similar collaborations.

The staff consists of five directors, who have a wide range of talents and a combined 50 years of experience, and 12 freelancers. Lenhart, who is director of marketing and membership, stressed that Creative Core is a for-profit business, not a nonprofit or educational group.

"We have the talent, experience, and maturity, and we want to work and do good graphic design jobs for our clients and give back to the community," Lenhart said.

Lenhart said that "without being too specific" the group is currently bidding on projects that include re-branding efforts for gay-friendly organizations, as well as helping other groups promote their large, annual street fairs.

Lenhart said the group is especially interested in working with HIV-related organizations. He said that Creative Core's message to the organizations is, "We're one of your success stories. We're living with HIV and moving forward."

Janet Lees, program director at San Francisco's Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center, a nonprofit organization that provides small business training and support services, has been helping Creative Core get started.

"It's all about values for them. ... They're very committed to the community," she said. She said the group's focus on a specific niche - nonprofits and community organizations - is "very smart."

"They've got a really good chance," Lees said.

Staff members also plan to help each other, Lenhart said, through both skills building and other support. He said the field involves "a lot of pressure, high stress, and competition" on top of the challenges people living with HIV already face. Partners in the collaborative might have frequent doctor appointments, and even a seemingly mild cold can be serious.

"We mentor each other not only to be professional, mature graphic design folks, but we make sure we don't get stressed out," Lenhart said. He said that staff members work on "being cognizant of the fact that if we get stressed out, we get sick." If one of the directors has to take time off, the others will fill in.

Stu Smith, Creative Core's director of development and public relations, said, "It's a brave new venture of people who've been living with HIV for many, many years and ... feel squeezed out of the workplace." Smith, who was diagnosed with AIDS in 1986, depends on government disability insurance, so he has to be careful about how much he earns through employment. He wants to contribute to society, but it's been hard.

"I'm relatively healthy, but I could not work an eight-hour day," Smith said.

Positive Resource Center, which offers free assistance to HIV-positive clients who need help getting benefits or re-entering the workforce, has referred several people to Creative Core. PRC and the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center have helped Creative Core with things like mentorship and office space.

For more information on Creative Core, visit http://www.creativecoredesign.net/.

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