Congrats! Looks amazing - can't wait to see more. Cheers!
Pat -- [email protected] Pat Ramsey @pat_ramsey Get Found, Create Value, Earn Trust, & Generate Revenue http://inboundinteractive.com On Feb 1, 2011, at 2:30 PM, Ryan Price wrote: > I'm very happy to be writing this email to the list right now. Also posted to > my blog http://ryanpricemedia.com > > One year ago, I was approached by Julia Young, the President of a local > nonprofit organization called the Urban Think! Foundation. She was charged > with transforming a soon-to-be out of business local bookstore into a > Coworking space, event space, and a program to support local creatives. There > were hazy thoughts about having a cafe, putting in a loft, and creating a > versatile space. She found me because of my numerous blogs posts about > Coworking, and my involvement in the local community. > > I brought in a good friend of mine, Darren McDaniel, who had experience > working at a similar space here in Orlando that was eventually strangled by > bureaucracy. He had a business plan, several years of experience, and a PhD > thesis paper about creating structure for freelancers and other creatives. > Darren would be tapped as the Founding Director of the project, code named > Urban ReThink. > > We put out a survey to the old mailing list from the bookstore, and as many > other communities as we could get in touch with. This concept is a bit bigger > than Coworking space alone, but it shares values and lots of the superficial > things many spaces have. To say this is ambitious would be an understatement. > We do have some great things going for us. > > The landlord is one of the original founders of the old bookstore, and he had > other offers for the space - this is a passion project for him. A few months > into this adventure, we found out he will be developing an area of downtown > Orlando called the Creative Village - Craig and the rest of the nonprofit > board are really committed to making our city better, and they have been > invaluable throughout this process. From the big things like the space itself > and the renovation, to smaller things like the PR and marketing strategy, and > making connections with other organizations and businesses. > > Starting in November, we started hosting events - film screenings, a book > signing, an interactive art installation, and several holiday parties. These > were a great learning experience, as our space is at street level, and on a > major walking path to the rest of Downtown Orlando - the weekends are very > colorful here. > > On January 17th, our cafe partner opened their doors to a torrential downpour > - but lunch time still brought in about a dozen people, eager to see their > new neighbors. Last week, some furniture was delivered - donated from a local > interior design shop - and we invited a few potential community members to > start working here. Today was the final straw as the cable company connected > the internet and we fired up our wi-fi - no more stealing from the neighbors! > > We were lucky enough to be featured in the local daily newspaper a few weeks > ago, and now I am told a business journal article related to independent > workers will be landing this week - they even took my picture for it. > > We still have so far to go - I'm pretty sure we're doing it backwards - the > "if you build it, they will come" plan. I am feverishly trying to finish the > website (just got the design on Friday) so I can stop answering all my > questions via Facebook, Twitter and Email. At the same time, we know we have > lots of interest - people wanting to (and already are) holding meetings here, > people ready to sign up for memberships, mentors ready to give sage wisdom, > and many and more things ready to happen. > > In 2 weeks we'll have the start of our grand opening festivities, and who > knows what will happen from there? > > Photos: http://www.flickr.com/groups/urbanrethink/ > News: http://facebook.com/UrbanReThink > Updates: http://twitter.com/urbanrethink > Website (coming soon): http://urbanrethink.com > > Peace, > Ryan Price > [email protected] > UrbanReThink.com > @urbanrethink > 625 E Central Blvd, Orlando, FL 32801 > Creative. Collaborative. Transformative. > > Fragmentation + other stories Book Release Feb 16 > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Coworking" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Coworking" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en.
