IndyHall Member Profiles: Dr. Greg Wilder
Filed under: Community Support, From the Business Side, Independents Hall, coworkers
I’d like you to meet Dr. Greg Wilder.
Greg is a classical conservatory trained pianist and composer whose works have been performed on prestigious stages across the globe. He is known by many different titles including but not limited to musician, composer, professor, and more recently co-founder of Orpheus Media Research.
I, however, know him by a very different title:
Speed Chess Nemesis.
It is for precisely this reason I challenged him to conduct this interview over a match. The opening move was simple; I wanted to know how Greg came to be a part of the Hall.
“I met Alex through PSL (Philly Startup Leaders) and I was very curious about him and his ideas about Indy Hall. I put myself on the waiting list and as soon as they relocated I became a member.”
I couldn’t help but wonder how a classically trained pianist composer wound up sitting in front of a computer as opposed to, well, a piano.
“I haven’t been hands on with any music for a number of months now and it’s been very difficult. I made a conscious decision to focus on my business and it has completely changed my life. Instead of attending an orchestral rehearsal for example, I’ll go to a business meeting.”
I still wasn’t quite sure as to why exactly he was here, a deceptive tactic perhaps. It was time to make a developing move. I had to know what could be so important to someone that they would put aside everything their life had revolved around thus far in order to pursue it.
“I’ve spent my entire life listening to, performing, and studying music. I’m fascinated by the way in which the human mind interacts with music and what I’m doing here at Indy Hall is giving computers a human-like sensitivity to music from both the listening and compositional standpoints.”
Boosh. Check. A bold move indeed, but would it pay off?
“My first morning here I really didn’t know if this would work but by the end of the day my mind was blown. There are so many brilliant people here that you really can’t be the ‘smart kid in class.’ I’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to work with quite a few of them and they’ve done a lot to help make my vision a reality. What we’re doing is as much about coworking as it is about music innovation.”
Checkmate. Well played, Dr. Wilder. Well played.
IndyHall Member Profiles: Bart Mroz
Filed under: Community Support, From the Business Side, coworkers
Meet Bart Mroz. Don’t feel bad about the last name, he’ll teach you how to say it so long as you ask him nicely. Bart is one of the original members of Indy Hall. He recounts the noble tale of Indy Hall’s first days.
“The four of us worked on the floor…umm…borrowing Wi-Fi from a neighbor while we waited for our broadband to be installed.”
Did I say noble? I of course meant humble.
I was curious to know if Indy Hall, a truly collaborative workspace, had collaboration at its roots.
“Its roots are all in collaboration. Some of us were working together before Indy Hall opened its doors, during our ‘Cream Cheese Sessions.’”
A statement I found to be a particularly nice way of saying “Duh.”
Having been coworking for nearly 3 years now I wanted to know if Bart could ever see himself working any other way.
“I couldn’t work in a traditional office or even an office share. That just doesn’t appeal to me. This space is very open and creative. I keep to myself most of the time but I’m aware of what the people around me are doing, it’s part of the deal.”
How about from a business perspective?
“We couldn’t do it any other way. Very early on we realized that this model works really well for us. It’s not the case for everyone but for us there’s really no other way.”
A statement I found to be a particularly nice way of saying “I’m not going anywhere.” We’re glad to hear it because we sure do like having Bart around.
