The Gem at Old Stage | A New Chapter
The Gem at Old Stage is our next big adventure at Ruby + Citrine. After years of helping clients bring ideas to life through presentations, events, and creative storytelling, we’re building something of our own: a coworking and community space in Angier, North Carolina.
We’ve spent so much of our careers working behind the scenes, helping others create memorable experiences on screens, stages, and in conference rooms. Along the way, we started wondering what it would look like to create a space where those connections could happen every day.
A place where people could come together to work, create, learn, and grow.
That’s the vision behind The Gem at Old Stage.
A Bigger Vision for Creativity and Community
When Crystal and I founded Ruby + Citrine in 2020, we weren’t just interested in building another design agency. We wanted to build a company that valued people, supported creative careers, and challenged some of the traditional ways businesses operate.
Over the years, we’ve had the opportunity to work with incredible clients, grow our team, mentor emerging designers, and build relationships with creative professionals across industries.
We’ve also experienced firsthand how difficult it can be for small businesses and independent creatives to find affordable, flexible spaces where they can actually grow.
And as entrepreneurs ourselves, we understand how important it is to have a community around you.
So we started imagining something different.
A place where a small business owner could have their first private office. Where a freelancer could work alongside other creatives instead of sitting at home alone. Where someone could host a workshop, record a podcast, launch a product, or celebrate an important milestone.
A place where creativity and business could coexist.
Introducing The Gem at Old Stage: A New Creative Community in Angier, NC
The Gem at Old Stage is our vision for transforming a former retirement home in Angier, North Carolina, into a vibrant community destination.
The approximately 10,000-square-foot building has been sitting in need of a new purpose after a fire in 2017. It’s going to take a tremendous amount of work to bring it back to life, but we see an opportunity to create something meaningful for the surrounding community.
Our plans include:
- Coworking and private offices for entrepreneurs, remote workers, and growing businesses.
- Event and gathering spaces for workshops, celebrations, networking, and community programming.
- A podcast studio and meeting rooms for creators and professionals.
- A boutique marketplace featuring local makers, artists, and small businesses.
- Educational and creative programming designed to make learning, collaboration, and entrepreneurship more accessible.
And yes, Ruby + Citrine will have a home there, too.
We want our team to be part of an environment where we’re not just working alongside each other, but connecting with the people and businesses around us.
Why This Matters
You might be wondering what a presentation design agency has to do with renovating a building and creating a community space. For us, the connection is pretty simple: our business has always been about helping other people succeed.
Through our presentation design services we help executives tell better stories. We help organizations communicate with their teams. We support events that bring thousands of people together. We work behind the scenes to make sure someone else’s big moment goes exactly as planned.
The Gem is an extension of that same philosophy.
Instead of helping people bring their ideas to life through presentations and events alone, we’re creating a place where those ideas can take shape every day.
It’s also an opportunity for us to invest in the local creative economy and create a space where entrepreneurs at different stages of their journeys can find support, resources, and opportunities.
We believe good businesses can do more than generate revenue. They can create opportunities for other people.
Help Us Bring The Gem at Old Stage to Life
We’re excited to share that we’ve officially launched our fundraising campaign to help make The Gem at Old Stage a reality.
We have a target closing date of November 23, 2026, and we’re working toward raising $175,000 to support the purchase and next steps in bringing this property back to life.
It’s an ambitious goal, and we’re not pretending otherwise.
Taking on a project of this size means navigating financing, renovations, permitting, and a whole lot of unknowns. But as business owners, we’ve learned that sometimes the most meaningful opportunities require you to take a chance on something bigger than yourself.
We’re inviting our clients, creative partners, fellow entrepreneurs, local businesses, and friends to be part of this next chapter.
There are a few ways to help:
Contribute to our campaign. Every contribution helps move us closer to our goal.
Become a corporate or community sponsor. We’re looking for organizations that believe in supporting entrepreneurship, creativity, and local economic development. Sponsorship opportunities offer ways to be recognized as part of the project’s founding supporters.
Explore Sponsorship Opportunities
Share our story. Even if contributing isn’t possible right now, introducing us to someone who might be interested or simply sharing the campaign with your network can make a tremendous difference.
Building Something That Lasts
When Crystal and I started Ruby + Citrine six years ago, we had no idea where it would take us. We just knew we wanted to build a business we could be proud of, do good work with good people, and hopefully make a living doing something we loved.
Almost seven years later, we’ve learned a lot. We’ve made mistakes, figured things out as we went, celebrated some pretty incredible wins, and had plenty of moments where we wondered what we were getting ourselves into. And somehow, here we are, getting ready to take on something even bigger.
The Gem is a little scary, if I’m being completely transparent. It’s a huge undertaking, and there are still so many things we have to figure out. But I keep coming back to what this space could mean for the people who eventually walk through its doors.
Maybe someone starts their first business here. Maybe a freelancer finds their next big client over coffee. Maybe a local artist finally has a place to sell their work. Or maybe it’s just somewhere people feel welcome, inspired, and a little less alone in whatever they’re trying to build.
To everyone who’s been part of our journey at Ruby + Citrine, whether you’ve been a client, a collaborator, a friend, or someone cheering us on from the sidelines, thank you. You’ve helped us build something we’re genuinely proud of, and you’ve given us the confidence to dream a little bigger.
Now we’re asking you to be part of this next adventure with us. We have a long road ahead, but I can’t wait to see what we can make of this place together.
Learn more about The Gem at Old Stage at TheGemNC.com.
Alexandra Alcantara
CEO & Co-Founder, Ruby + Citrine
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