Through Gallery Box, Ami Patel ’20 turns creativity into community connections. (Submitted photo)
Inspired by her own experience, Ami Patel ’20 founded Gallery Box, a company that hosts artist-led workshops where people live or work.
Ami Patel ’20 brings an entrepreneurial mindset to everything she does.
A native of Asheville, North Carolina, she created her own interdisciplinary studies major, combining business, information science and public health and added a minor in the Shuford Program in Entrepreneurship. She also served as an executive chair of Carolina for the Kids, where she helped raise over $440,000 for the North Carolina Children’s Hospital. She credits those experiences with teaching her the fundamentals of innovation that shape her company, Gallery Box, winner of the 2024 Velocity Accelerator grant. She’s the Shuford Innovator-in-Residence at Carolina Feb. 23-28, 2026.
Patel shared more about her award-winning business and how her time at Carolina helped her build it.
What inspired you to start your company, Gallery Box?
The inspiration came from challenges I faced both as an artist and as someone who loves engaging with art. A few years ago, I was showcasing my work at galleries and local pop-up markets. The experience was frustrating because galleries often felt difficult to access for emerging artists, while markets charged high fees and didn’t always draw large audiences. It wasn’t sustainable, and I realized many talented local artists were facing the same obstacles.
At the same time, I noticed that people wanted opportunities to engage with art, and many were looking for a way to participate in the creative process themselves. Gallery Box was created to bridge that gap. We train and support local artists so they can lead their own workshops in residential and organizational settings. By bringing artmaking directly into living spaces, like apartment communities, we make creativity accessible, strengthen neighbor-to-neighbor connections and provide experiences for all ages and abilities.
What do you love most about your job?
I absolutely love getting to meet new people and being part of moments when joy and creativity are sparked. I’m very grateful that Gallery Box serves as a catalyst for these moments.
What led you to design your own major?
I’ve always felt that innovation lives at the intersection of industries and disciplines, so studying business and public health made perfect sense to me. My inclination toward a business mindset combined with my passion for social good, health and equity showed me there is a lot of synergy between the two. It felt like combining purpose and execution.
How did the Shuford Program in Entrepreneurship help guide you toward your career?
Both Shuford and Carolina opened my mind to dreaming big and taking action. Shuford is the reason I learned what “entrepreneurship” really means: identifying a problem and creating solutions for your customers, constantly gaining feedback, iterating and innovating along the way.
At Shuford, professors and advisers took the time to understand my interests and connect me with resources and opportunities. In Practicum in Entrepreneurship, taught by Shuford director Bernard Bell, guest speakers shared their journeys, including failures, lessons and successes. These vulnerable conversations showed me that setbacks are not the end; they’re opportunities to learn and grow.
What are you most proud of in your career so far?
Seeing people reconnect with their creativity right in front of me. I often meet attendees who are curious about art but unsure of themselves, shaped by the idea that only “professional” artists can create meaningful work. At Gallery Box, we flip the narrative: you don’t have to be a professional artist to create art.
By Jess Abel, UNC College of Arts and Sciences
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