Long Live The Pig!

Posted under on July 3rd, 2012 by gerard – 1 Comment

Cincinnati Coworks will suspend operations indefinitely starting July 15th. After July 15th, we will not be accepting new memberships, and will not be hosting events.

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Since that first informal coworking day in September, 2009, Bill and I have learned a lot, had fun, and most importantly met some great people we would not otherwise have met if it were not for Cincy Coworks.  While we never made as big a splash as we would have liked, we can certainly point to success stories. Cincy Coworks has:

  • spun off an agency.
  • provided temporary space to three non–profits, helping a couple get off the ground.
  • assisted in the planning and execution of the inaugural Queen City Merge conference.
  • directly and indirectly provided members seeking employment with jobs.
  • hosted a few movie nights, including an independent film premiere!
  • provided members with dozens of freelance gigs and leads and referrals.
  • hosted more than a few parties and late nights of alcohol-fueled pontificating.
  • hosted dozens of meetups and user groups, leading to other connections.
  • frequently patronized local businesses in the Walnut Hills and East Walnut Hills neighborhoods.

We have always operated Cincy Coworks under the assumption that it be self-sustaining. We’ve tried to grow and develop the business, all while doing our day jobs, paying our bills, and even working on other side efforts. Unfortunately, membership has dipped below the point that we can pay our expenses. Businesses obviously require capital investment in some cases, but this was never that type of business.

Cincy Coworks was chartered originally to bring people with ideas together to progress the city. When I look around at all that’s happened since 2009, I see lots of other individuals, groups, and companies working towards the same goal and doing much better. That said, I believe Cincy Coworks has played its small part in this over the past three years.

I still believe true coworking can thrive in Cincinnati. If you or someone you know is interested in taking over the operations of Cincy Coworks, whether in its current location, or a new location, let’s talk. Follow us on Twitter and sign up for the newsletter to keep up with any future announcements. If you are looking for a coworking space, keep an eye on 3C Coworks, opening in Fall 2012.

Gerard Sychay
Bill Barnett

QC Merge & Cincy Coworks

Posted under , , , , , , , on May 17th, 2012 by gerard – Comments Off on QC Merge & Cincy Coworks

Something special happened last week. A 1st-year conference gathered over 80 people in a funky downtown space for two days of learning, friendships, and inspiration.

QC Merge

Queen City Merge was, in my opinion, a success. No, it wasn’t perfect, but as a 1st-year conference it can only get better. The conference ended on the Reds party deck at Great American Ballpark. As I left I felt a lot of energy, but also a bit of sadness like when vacation comes to an end.

QC Merge

QC Merge was chartered to bring together folks from diverse web disciplines (hence “Merge”) to show how much talent is in Cincinnati for building web companies.  At the least, it got people talking. After the end of Jen Myers talk “Developers Can’t Design and Other Myths,” a rabid discussion ensued about why developers and designers don’t get together more often.  Why don’t developers congregate over here?  Why don’t designers congregate over there?  Should they congregate professionally or at a happy hour?  Cincinnati’s a good city for cross-pollination. Cincinnati’s a bad city for cross-pollination.

Jen’s talk was followed by Alex Hillman. Now, if you’ve followed coworking at all over the past few years, you’ve run across Alex’s name.  As co-founder of Indyhall in Philadelphia, he’s helped create one of the most successful coworking spaces in the nation (note I didn’t say largest, richest, or loudest).  Cross-pollination of ideas, creating community, gathering diverse folks – Indyhall breathes these ideas and the QC Merge debate was like a coworking values game of Scrabble™.

As a web developer, I am fairly active in the local developer communities. I attend the user groups, hackathons, and happy hours.  You know what I find there?  Other developers.  When I look at the local AIGA chapter’s roster of events, I see all kinds of events.  Same for the AMA, and the Adclub.  There are lots of developer events.  There are lots of designer events.  And there are lots of marketing and ad events.  How is it that someone like me who loves going to developer events has never encountered someone from the these other groups (not until recently at least)?  How is it that it takes a two-day conference to start the conversation?

We want Cincinnati Coworks to be a big part of this conversation.  I ask AIGA Cincinnati, Cincinnati AMA, and the like to be a part of it too. We all want the same thing, and we’ll get there faster together.

Cross-posted on my (neglected) personal blog.

It’s a sign!

Posted on May 17th, 2012 by marcelina – Comments Off on It’s a sign!

Literally and figuratively. It has been a long time coming but it finally is here and it looks GREAT!

The sign arrived just in time for our Open House next Thursday, May 24 from 5 PM to 8 PM.  Join us for some lite bites, cool drinks and great company.

 

 

Starfire Council members spend the morning at Cincy CoWorks!

Posted under , , on May 15th, 2012 by marcelina – Comments Off on Starfire Council members spend the morning at Cincy CoWorks!

This morning members from Starfire stopped by Cincy CoWorks to work on a project.  They hung out for about an hour at CincyCoWorks.

Here is information from the Starfire Council website about our new friends.

Starfire enables individuals with disabilities to become active and vital members of the community. Since 1993, Starfire has offered innovative programs that address the emerging needs of teens and adults with disabilities.

Starfire believes every person has gifts that should be valued and respected. Time at Starfire is spent discovering those gifts and finding the people and places where those gifts are able to shine the brightest. Starfire recognizes that all people want acceptance and need relationships. There is great value to relationships with the community and neighbors so an emphasis on building connection runs throughout each program. Starfire strives to maximize resources and generate new avenues and networks of connections for people.

Every program provides opportunities for individuals to learn and practice their social skills and create strategies for interacting with the community. Click here to learn more about Starfire’s programs.

We look forward to the Starfire gang visiting us again soon!

 

You’re Invited!

Posted on May 1st, 2012 by marcelina – 1 Comment

We are having a casual gathering of all of our friends, family and of course co-workers to celebrate our space at 2400 Gilbert Avenue.  Join us on Thursday, May 24 from 5 PM to 8 PM for tasty eats, cool beverage and great company.  Feel free to post, pin and pass on the invite to your peeps.

See  you then!

Oh yeah, we will also feature photography by Tom Kinsel and Jennifer Prine, and D. S. Meyer will present some of his paintings too.