Over the past few months there has been a good bit of talk about regional economic development in the New River Valley. There are organizations that have been working on it for decades like the New River Valley Economic Development Alliance. Anne Clelland of Handshake 2.0 has also been discussing a vision for development on her site.
So does coworking have a place in the discussion?
New Work City is a well known coworking community in New York. They have been working for the last few months to expand their space and offer new services to members and the community.
They have a blog where they are posting the progress of their space as it nears completion. Check it out!!
I have recently been having several great conversations with many people about coworking in Blacksburg and what it can mean for individuals and the New River Valley as a whole.
Independence Hall is a great example of an established coworking community and space with an amazing vision for the city they are in. If you have some time check out their coworking FAQ post.
We had a pretty great time yesterday at the open house. Right at 3:30 a group came and got some iced coffee/ tea and we had some good conversations about what coworking is and what we are doing at Easy Chair. Then over the course of the rest of the day we had another half a dozen or so come through, some old friends and a few that were new. A few conversations between people and getting some real work done.
In my mind it was just about the perfect day for coworking that we have seen so far. I did not know everyone but work, conversation, and community was happening in the entire shop.
Free iced coffee or tea, got your attention yet?
Thursday will mark the 10th event for Blacksburg Coworking. It has been an interesting 5 weeks. I have met many interesting people around town and we have varied from 12 people working to just me. As we look forward to the future I am excited to see how things develop.
To celebrate our 10th event Easy Chair has decided to give out free iced coffee and tea at 3:30 pm. Please come out to support and or learn more about what Blacksburg Coworking is and could be. Meet others in town who have been coming out to coworking. This event is completely open so invite anyone you know who might be interested in coworking to come out!
