Coworking in New York: Green Spaces

By Katherine Tracey | September 1, 2012 at 1:02 am | No comments | Ideas, sep 2012 - coworking | Tags: coworking, environment, green living

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The Big Apple is home to an increasingly influential movement in workspace design – coworking. Here is one of four places we’re featuring as examples of atypical office spaces that offer big opportunities for non-traditional workers.

Founders: Jennie Nevin and Marissa Feinberg

Jennie and I once co-created a networking group for leaders in sustainability together called Green Leaders Global. It consisted of more than 1,000 leaders across every industry: media, retail, design, education, real estate, health, technology, politics, science and more. When we gathered for intimate events, incredible collaborations sparked.

From it, we thought, “Imagine what would happen if we worked from the same space every day!”

Green Spaces

So that’s how Green Spaces started, and we designed it for collaboration.

The environment is totally open, except for two conference rooms. Therefore, people organically engage with one another, as opposed to separate offices. We also share everything: kitchen, printer, lounge, mailbox, conference rooms, wifi, networking resources, and more.

We’re a great example of the hot, collaborative consumption movement. It is more efficient and economical to pool resources than to purchase them just for your own business.

Green Spaces

We exist for environmental and social entrepreneurs. The majority of our 100+ member organizations are focused on making the world better. We have companies in cleantech, sustainable food, green real estate, good wood, nonprofit, eco fashion, and more.

Our design is as environmental as possible, with furniture that has all been recycled and repurposed, as well as vendors that are conscious. From our fair-trade coffee to our printer with inks made of food, we have mother Earth in mind.

Green Spaces

We also have a Community Manager, Eva Navon. She has played a great role in making sure everyone is happy, and that has been crucial to our success. She also gets to know our members so when they join an office that is shared by others they feel welcome and can instantly have a new friend. Comfort is key. Therefore, a seamless infrastructure and inviting team are crucial.

Green Spaces

Since working at Green Spaces is working in a physical network, our members are very savvy and influential people. They are constantly circulating with new startup companies and up on the latest industry trends, and they are on the pulse of social networks and have strong followings.

Our members are also community minded. To share, people need to be considerate of others and open to caring about the people and world around them.

Founder – Marissa Feinberg

GREEN SPACES NEW YORK (TriBeCa)

394 Broadway, 5th floor

New York, NY

 

GREEN SPACES COLORADO

1368 26th Street

Denver, CO

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Katherine Tracey is Workspace Design Magazine's marketing and advertising director. She is intrigued by the combination of design & business in the A/E/C industry. When she is not working on the magazine you can find her out sailing on the bay, skiing down a snowy slope or exploring new places.

GreenBuzz - Taking Care of Business

By Joel Makower, Chairman & Executive Editor of GreenBiz

As you read this, the GreenBiz team is in New York, putting the final touches on the GreenBiz Forum, the second of our three-part event. Last week's Forum in Minneapolis was a hit, we were told, and the local business community -- from big companies like 3M, General Mills and Siemens to some terrific smaller firms -- appreciated the opportunity to come together for some top-notch speakers and world-class networking. We've posted the first of the videos to come out of the Minneapolis event, my conversation with Best Buy's Neil McPhail covering, among other things, the future of home energy management and how the retailer plans to address customers' interest in clean technologies.

We're excited about bringing the event to New York for the first time. And apparently New York is excited, too: the event is sold out. Look for coverage this week on GreenBiz.com.

By the way, if you're around New York Monday night (tonight), come meet me at a GreenSpaces networking event, where I'll give an overview of the State of Green Business report and you can mingle with the local green business community. It would be great to see you there.

We look forward to having you tonight, Joel! Click here for the full story.

Map of Community Workspaces in NYC

When it comes to working from home, it’s hard to beat the relaxed dress code, the four-foot commute from your bed to your desk and, of course, having the freedom to sing the HOT POCKETS® jingle even if you are not currently eating a hot pocket. Unless it’s 99 degrees outside. In that case, it might be time to seek shelter in one of New York City’s shared (and climate-controlled) office spaces. A freelancer can have wifi access and a desk for a walk-in rate of $20 a day, while a small business might try a long-term membership with a private office and access to conference rooms and other amenities like fax machines, copiers and phones – all without signing a lease. To find a space near you, check out this map:

Thanks for listing Green Spaces here, mediabistro!

Incubating Social Innovation: The Power of Co-Working

The wave of social innovation is growing in numbers and momentum, and organizations are developing around the world to support this innovation and facilitate the bold change that social entrepreneurs aim for. These networks prove invaluable for social entrepreneurs, applying the tools and breadth of the network’s resources to focus on scale, efficiency, and sustainability of their social endeavors.

Among these support organizations is the Unreasonable Institute, which launches its second class of 25 Unreasonable Fellows in Boulder, Colorado, today. It empowers the world’s “most unreasonable entrepreneurs” by bringing carefully selected fellows together under one roof for a six-week intensive institute. 

Together with them—sharing three meals a day—are mentors, serial entrepreneurs, consultants, and funders. This ecosystem, along with rigorous trainings on legal issues, design, raising capital, prototype development, and more, serves to speed these social ventures along the path to success and financial viability.

The network is formed in a physical, place-based way, which brings the network together in Boulder, Colorado for a brief but intensive relationship-building stage. But then, as the fellows, mentors, and funders embark into the world, they join the “International League of Unreasonables,” which will ideally provide ongoing support. “We think of ourselves as pathological collaborators,” Institute Founder Daniel Epstein told FastCompany. “To date, we have partnered with over 140 organizations around the world. Through these partnerships, we are able to reach the world’s most promising, innovative, high-impact entrepreneurs.”

As social innovation continues to break new ground, networks that catalyze innovators’ success are just as important. Organizations, individuals, and technology are stepping up to support innovation in ways that are as critical to social change as the social ventures themselves.

Similar to the Unreasonable Institute, ... Green Spaces has built powerful networks that include not only the entrepreneurs, but also highly impactful mentors and funders. Green Spaces house co-working offices for socially and environmentally focused start-ups. “The green movement is about collaborating and working together,” Jennie Nevin, founder of Green Spaces, told the New York Times. “The idea here is to create a hub.”

These communities serve as incubation for sharing ideas, building connections, collaborating with other socially and environmentally minded entrepreneurs, and learning from others’ experiences. More hubs are popping up, too, to provide the tools and communities for social innovation — bringing with them endless possibilities for the future of innovation.

Green Product Placement in NYC

Beth and Lisa of Green Product Placement made our first steps toward setting up shop in New York City this past week.

We met with various production contacts, one of whom was the inspiration for starting GPP. (hint: read Beth’s bio in the “About Us” section of this website). We checked out Green Spaces, a wonderful co working space in Manhattan that acts as an incubator for entrepreneurial green companies. We even connected with a new client and a new potential client who operate out of the space!

We attended a lovely cocktail party there, where we ran into our new friend Alix, from Green America’s Green Festivals. Marissa, one of the visionary eco-preneurs who started Green Spaces was lovely, friendly and warm and we can’t wait to get to know her better!

We met with current and future clients and perused “made locally, buy local” shop by brooklyn. Brooklyn is a major hub in the “made locally, buy local” movement and we salute owner Maia’s efforts to showcase some of these fine local brands. We also paid a visit to the Film Biz Prop Shop run by the innovative and pioneering not-for-profit Film Biz Recycling.org, which recycles “waste” from film, tv and print shoots- typically items that aren’t “waste” after all, but would have been headed for a dumpster and landfill anyway. This way, these building materials and flats and furniture and props and set dressing can be reused on multiple shoots, saving money, time, resources and the environment. Green Product Placement tips our hats to the wonderful people at Film Biz!

It was an action packed few days…. and we did all this whilst orchestrating some pilot placements in a major network television program that will be debuting soon! (stay tuned- more on this later….)

Green Product Placement is off and running- please check back on our blog and Facebook page to keep track on our progress!

My New Desk at Green Spaces Denver

Working remotely via Internet has its pros and cons.  I think it suits some better than others. When I describe my virtual workspace to people, I get a range of reactions from “that sounds pretty ideal” to “that would never work for me.”

Whether people are attracted to the idea or not, location independent work is becoming more and more common.  Where exactly is the “office” for freelancers and independent contractors? What about entrepreneurs who are just starting up?

In Denver, my workspace became a patchwork of places where I found the most focus: the library, a circuit of cafes, and my desk at home.  I experimented with taking my work on the road for six weeks in the Pacific Northwest.  Once I was back in town, I did few Google searches for coworking in Denver, and Green Spaces crossed my radar as an interesting option.

Green Spaces is a shared work environment in the RiNo district of Denver that “cultivates social entrepreneurs, startups, and freelancers alike.”  I went to the Earth Day celebration and felt a sense of community and shared values.  I took a free day pass, then decided to join.

The benefits so far have been many.  The bike commute across town keeps me active, and I’ve found that it’s much easier to fit an eight hour workday into eight hours with somewhere like Green Spaces to spend some solid time.  It’s a good social bunch of like-minded people, and there’s always an event on the calendar.  Plus, The Walnut Room with its unbeatable happy hour is just two blocks away.  My only regret about this place is that I’ll be leaving for South America in six weeks, so I’m trying not to get too attached.  It’s good to know that Green Spaces will still be here when I get back.

Green Community Models: The Business Incubator

A new wave of business incubators are beginning to spin-off green--and profitable--business ventures.

If you're old enough to remember the dot com bust, you may associate "business incubators" with small online companies with a cool idea and a lousy monetization strategy. While past incubators may have given life support to start-ups that may not have deserved it, a new generation of these organizations (both for- and non-profit) are springing up to support eco-minded start-ups.

While we'll have to wait to see if this model ultimately works for green business, the marriage of these two concepts seems almost ideal: the concept of a community of entrepreneurs that share resources -- capital, knowledge, space, and equipment -- fits quite nicely with the values of green business.

What is a business incubator?

According to the National Business Incubation Association,

Business incubation is a business support process that accelerates the successful development of start-up and fledgling companies by providing entrepreneurs with an array of targeted resources and services. These services are usually developed or orchestrated by incubator management and offered both in the business incubator and through its network of contacts.

The association distinguishes incubators from coworking arrangements and research parks by the element of assistance tailored specifically to emerging companies.

Are business incubators always green?

Not necessarily in focus, or in the companies they support. By offering material, financial, and knowledge support, however, incubators ideally maximize resource efficiency for new companies, allowing them to focus on building financial sustainability. Business incubators are often also focused on broader community economic development.

So, what makes a green business incubator green?

In general, green business incubators focus on supporting the development of start-ups built around a sustainable/triple bottom line business model. In a number of cases (New York's Green Spaces, Chicago's Green Exchange), the incubators work to insure a green space, whether a building constructed to LEED standards, reused/reclaimed office furniture, or even renewable energy sources.

Are business incubators non-profit organizations?

Often, but not always. Green Spaces and San Francisco's Virgance are among the 4% of incubators that are for-profit. (Disclosure: I'm a stockholder in Virgance.) In about 25% of cases, incubators take an equity share in the companies they support, according to the 2006 State of the Business Incubation Industryreport.

Where can I find out more about green business incubators?

There doesn't appear to be a central repository of information on sustainable business incubators, so the best sources of information I've found are NBIA and green incubators themselves. Others not mentioned above:

• The Sustainable Business Incubator at Farleigh Dickinson University
• The Clean Energy Incubator, a part of the University of Texas' Austin Technology Incubator
• Rhode Island's Gordon Avenue Business Incubator

I've also run across several good articles on green incubators, including

• "NYC incubator helps green companies grow" (Crain's New York)
• "New Incubators Will Nurture Green Business" (NJBiz.com)

Of course, if you're in any way involved with a green business incubator, let us know more...

Other green community posts: This post is a part of a multiblog series on green community models. I’ll link to new posts as I get them written and published:

• Ecovillages
• Cohousing
• Coworking
• New green development

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg is the founder and editor of sustainablog. Follow him on Twitter @sustainablog

Green Spaces NY – An Incubator for Social Entrepreneurs and Green Business Opens In Tribeca

Just noticed this post about when we opened! Oldie, but goodie... Tx to our friends at Opportunity Green.

Green Spaces New York, space for social entrepreneurs and green business ventures, officially opened their new location in downtown Manhattan last week. Green Spaces is an incubator model that encourages like-minded entrepreneurs to pool resources and ideas to ensure success of their sustainable business ideas.

Green Spaces offers various amenities for your start-up needs. A rental ranges in price from $595 a month for a full-time private space to $35 per day for drop-ins sharing an open work area. Services include a conference room, an intern program, newsletter advertising and recommendations for companies that provide bookkeeping, accounting, marketing, graphic design, and technology and sustainability consulting assistance.

The Clubhouse Membership for EcoPreneurs is also offered. This membership includes access to networking events, film screenings, gallery openings, supper clubs, pop-up retail shops, happy hours, educational workshops, and entry pass to the national Green Spaces community.

Green Spaces is located in the ultra-hip Tribeca area and its vast 5,300-square-foot loft is truly Green as its name implies. It is refurbished with entirely vintage and reused furniture. The office uses 100% wind power energy. Green Spaces has low-power utilization through a passive heating and cooling system, and is implementing a composting system and partnership with Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).

As a welcome offer for its new community into their Manhattan space, Green Spaces is offering a FREE One Day pass for individuals interested in a green working space... Click here for the full story.

Global Examples

There are many successful examples of existing social innovation hubs or co-work spaces around the world. Social Good Accelerator Calgary committee members have had an opportunity to visit and learn from the following organizations:

Green Spaces

"Our vision is to forward the sustainability globally through widespread local hubs that cultivate social entrepreneurs, startups, and freelancers alike. We have coworking spaces in New York and Colorado, serving as places where entrepreneurs connect with investors, media, like-minded professionals, and much more."

More amazing spaces mentioned! Click here for the full story.

Space

There are a variety of space options available for startups in New York City. Firstly, much can be done with virtual arrangements in one’s home, and meeting around town in coffee shops... When it gets to needing to get out of the home, to avoid distraction, or to hold meetings with conference calls though, one starts to need a better location.

Coworking

Coworking is a small work space with shared tables or other dense arrangements. The ones listed here are all offices, with access to some conference rooms and photo copiers, or other shared services. They offer community, but not acoustic privacy, making them more suitable for quiet work that is digital, rather than requiring phone calls.

Green Spaces is happy to be mentioned in this blog's Manhattan list! Click here for the full story.