For TJ Tillman and Scott Goldsmith revitalizing the downtown Mesa community is a personal mission. You might remember Macee Tillman and Christina Goldsmith from our February issue—Rebel Wine Lounge is still the place you want to go to for a night out in Downtown Mesa. These two ladies are at the heart. We got the chance to talk to their husbands. As you might remember, the four of them own a few places in Downtown Mesa, but they’ve also started up a venture capital company with the sole purpose of opening the door for those in the community to invest in the community.
Incomparably Dope Venture Partners is “venture capital focused on unique and compelling concepts local to Arizona.” There is an executive leadership team at Incomparably Dope Venture Partners, but the Tillmans and Goldsmiths are the vice presidents of concept development, which means we have them to thank for some of the highlights of Downtown Mesa. In case you need a refresher, outside of Rebel Wine Lounge they also own Outcast Doughnuts, Level One Arcade Bar, and an underground speakeasy, Alchemy 48.
“Downtown Mesa has no competition, it’s all family,” TJ and Scott share during our conversation. While Downtown Mesa hasn’t always been the “place to be” in Mesa, the stability of long-standing businesses in the area and the influx of new businesses, it has become the place for outings and hang outs.
Putting together these four concepts has shown the Tillmans and the Goldsmiths that they have honed in on a skillset. They have a knack for creating unique concepts that become popular and are loved by the community. There is an opportunity to take these concepts and grow and expand them. This is where Incomparably Dope Venture Partners comes in, it was built to create an opportunity for local investors with a passion for Mesa to invest in the community. They can get involved with these concepts and help them grow and eventually expand. Investments through Incomparably Dope Venture Partners need to come from an accredited investor and require a minimum investment in order to move forward. It’s the only way to invest in these companies, similar to buying a stock on the stock market. Instead of investing in some huge corporation like Apple or Tesla, you are investing in the growth of your neighborhood and community.
At the core of everything they do, everybody is working within their skillset to bring goodness to the community. These are four best friends who are pursuing their passions and using every skill within their wheelhouse to create something amazing.
Looking for your way into Alchemy 48? Here's a pro tip: find the security guard on the back patio of Level One Arcade Bar. No password required, just have your ID ready.