During an Evansville Tech on Tap meet up, a gathering to create collaborative innovation, someone asked if Evansville had a coworking space. While the answer then was no, the Growth Alliance for Greater Evansville decided to test the waters with a small space launched in 2014 on the second floor of Innovation Pointe that allowed freelancers, remote workers, and entrepreneurs of all industries to work in a shared office space.
On Oct. 1, 2018, Cowork Evansville moved to the first floor of Innovation Pointe and expanded its space from 1,300 square feet to 5,000 square feet. Along with Wi-Fi, printing, scanning, and fax capabilities, other features at Cowork include sitting, standing, or biking desks, exercise balls, sound-proof phone booths, moving white boards, a kitchenette, meeting spaces, and conference rooms.
Professionals wanting to be part of Cowork must purchase a yearly membership, which gives 24-hour, secure access to the office and all its amenities. Before moving into its new space, Cowork had about 40 members. Since October, they have almost doubled and now total 72 members.
“As managers of the space, our Growth Alliance team strives to cultivate a unique Cowork community by listening to the needs of our members,” says Celia Shoulders, facility operations manager for the Growth Alliance.
The collaboration that comes with the office is another major attraction for many of the “coworkers.” If a member is a photographer, for example, and needs advice on digital marketing, they are working in a room filled with professionals who have the skills to help.
Being located on Main Street gives Coworkers closer access to other businesses, along with the ability to receive mail at Cowork and list 318 Main St. as their business address. Members also have free access to resources from the Southwest Indiana Small Business Development Center, Southwest Indiana Chamber, Growth Alliance, and the University of Southern Indiana, among others which all have office space at Innovation Pointe.
“This space is especially beneficial for people who had a home office or worked remotely,” says Abby Elpers, the Growth Alliance for Greater Evansville marketing and communications manager. “There has been a lot of collaboration that has taken place among the members. It is really the community aspect that is the biggest selling point.”
Cowork Evasville
318 Main St., 812-401-4243
coworkevansville.com