Our downtown space brought on its first community co-working members and launched a variety of new programming. Funded by the State of New York with a five-year $625,000 grant, this initiative is creating a sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem in Hamilton. The coworking space is administered by the Partnership for Community Development, Hamilton's economic development organization, and designated a New York State business incubator.
In May, Mary Galvez left her position in TIA to join the Partnership for Community Development to spearhead the development of this new initiative. In her role, Mary is creating network of local mentors, facilitating connections with small businesses and start-ups in Madison County, and organizing regular workshops, training programs, and networking events.
The downtown space offers coworking membership to local entrepreneurs and small business owners. It is now home to a number of coworking members, including an interior design company, an engineering consultant, a clothing business, and several other businesses. The space offers over 3,000 square feet with two private conference rooms, a phone booth, high speed internet, full printing/scanning capabilities, 24/7 access, a kitchenette, a stage for pitch presentations, and a projector for presentations or remote meetings.
Programming has gotten off to a strong start, with a series of office hours and workshops. Office hours connect local entrepreneurs, small business owners, and TIA students with subject matter experts who can provide them with guidance and advice specific to their current situation and challenges. Topics for this fall were QuickBooks, business finances, and HR; topics for the spring will include taxes, insurance, data privacy compliance, and social media marketing.
November featured a three-part workshop on branding and marketing. The first session, covering marketing fundamentals, was led by TIA mentor Andres Echenique ’83, SVP, Terakeet. Sheila Dunne ’20 and Luke Goodwin, founders of current TIA venture Dunne Goodwin, presented the second session about social media marketing. The last session, digital marketing, was presented by growth marketer Gordon Brott, who just joined TIA as a mentor.
There are also regular entrepreneur meetups on the third Wednesday of each month. Small, industry-specific roundtable gatherings will begin this spring to facilitate connections and knowledge sharing between local entrepreneurs working in similar areas.
To learn more about the coworking space and view information about upcoming and past events, follow the Hamilton Area Entrepreneurs Facebook page.