IgnitePhilly is TONIGHT!
Filed under: Announcements, Education/Workshops, Events
I know that not everybody is tuned in to the same channels for news and events, and while it’s been on the IndyHall Calendar, IgnitePhilly doesn’t have much description or meaning to lots of the newer folks.
Tonight is the 4th IgnitePhilly, an event co-organized by a number of awesome community members (including our own Geoff DiMasi).
What is Ignite? It’s a fast paced presentation format. In Philly, it’s REALLY fast. Rock show fast. Ignite takes over Johnny Brenda’s at Front and Gerard and have presenters from all corners of Philadelphia’s most exciting projects and gives them 5 minutes to share something special…without self-promoting.
5 minutes and 20 slides later, your mind has been blown. Go grab yourself another beer. There’s another presentation coming up.
I’m a huge fan of the quote from Brian James Kirk:
“Perhaps the most interesting thing about the evening was that these important players in Philly’s advancing creative communities didn’t get on stage to show off their resume and reel. They used the forum to talk about what others are doing to make a difference…The fundamental takeaway from IgnitePhilly is that that the ability to change the world is more real than ever.”
If you’ve never attended an Ignite, I highly encourage you to make it tonight. Presentations start at 8 but doors are at 7, and you REALLY need to get there early. We’ve sold out a 300+ person room every single time this has happened.
If you want to lock down your spot, there are still some $5 pre-sale tickets available.
All proceeds are going to the Philadelphia Food Trust, so Ignite doesn’t make a dime. Ignite has already raised over $500 in ticket pre-sales so far.
I hope to see lots of new faces tonight, the presenters list is full of some of the smartest people I’ve met, and plenty I can’t wait to meet.
Say Hi to Parker and Michelle
Filed under: Announcements, Community Support, From the Business Side, Independents Hall
A few weeks back, we put out a call for an intern to help out at IndyHall. We wanted to frame it carefully to make it an opportunity not just to help with IndyHall operations, but to give someone the opportunity to grow and learn as a member of the community.
We lucked out, and got two of ‘em.
Honestly, the response we got to the post was overwhelming and positive. All of the candidates we interviewed were incredible, and we had a hard decision to make.
Last week, we were joined by Michelle Nugent, and this week, she met her new cointern (that’s right, I went there) Parker Whitney.
They’ve already done a great job working out their own schedule to make sure that our front desk is always attended, and are planning projects to improve quality of life around the office. They’re already becoming a force to be reckoned with, and I can’t wait to see what they accomplish. We’re lucky to have some extremely capable help…Dana may actually need to worry about being outdone! Ok, just kidding. Dana still rocks, too.
While they’re working here, they’re also both exploring their personal aspirations of creativity, business, communications, technology, and truly owning their place in Philadelphia.
Please say hi to Parker and Michelle when you come in the door, and don’t hesitate to grab them, take them to lunch, and learn more about them!
They Like Us! They Really Like Us!
Filed under: Community Support, coworking, Independents Hall, Kudos
I’m going to do my best to make this NOT become one of those posts where we pat ourselves on the back. Instead, I wanted to THANK the amazing people that have been leaving reviews in our reservation system.
We get a lot of folks coming through our doors, and we don’t always get a chance to ask them how their day was. More often than not, they come back…which we take as a good sign. But these reviews…wow. You’re all making me blush over here. My #1 favorite part about IndyHall has been hearing what it means to all of you over the last 2 years.
Some choice excerpts:
What sets IndyHall apart is that it combines both the comfort and efficiency together. I am definitely returning to this place. - Arturo Osorio, Lite Member
Most of the members introduced themselves to me. There wasn’t a “don’t look at me” feel that you get when you see people working in a coffee shop. There’s a mixed vibe of getting work done and having fun. - Steve Gruberman, NJcoworking.com
When I was there, it was cupcake day (Thursday) and there was a happy hour of sorts at 4 pm. -Julia, a visiting member of Carrboro Creative Coworking
Got a good chunk of work done, was able to book the conference room for a mid-day project kickoff phone meeting, and enjoyed several cups of darn good coffee complete with half & half and raw sugar. -Kris Gale, Basic Member
IndyHall provides an opportunity to work beside other living/breathing humans and increase my productivity because I’m not sitting around feeling so isolated. - Carolyn Redmond, Drop-in
I had a great day despite the brief power outage. In fact, I think that made it better. -Carl Leiby, Basic Member
Energy nor mass have anything on Indy Hall. It is a wellspring of creative flow. The nucleus around which the crackling excitement of ideas and inspiration revolve. Serendipity incarnate. -Some unnamed poet
However, for those of us who do not dream in SQL, IndyHall is still welcoming. Desks, internet and a place to work that isn’t a coffee shop or a library- who could ask for more!? -Carrie Jurney, wife of one of the geekiest members we’ve ever had.
Indy Hall is a great environment filled with a hard working core of people that sometimes collaborate and share ideas, and other times just leave each other alone to get things done. You can usually find a lunch partner or an answer to some cryptic technical riddle. -Lou Fuiano, Basic Member
When I started at Indyhall over a year ago, I was amazed how fast I became friends with Alex and everyone there. -Jon Bettcher, Basic Member who has since left us for San Francisco, much to our chagrin. We miss you Jon.
Of course, there are others that I didn’t include here because you can read the whole shebang yourself. I sincerely thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for your support and continuing participation in IndyHall. Just wait until this fall. It’s going to get even better!
IndyHall 201: Communities of Trust
Filed under: coworking, FAQs, Independents Hall, IndyHall 201, Kudos, Movies, Videos
We’re back with another IndyHall 201 video. This time, we’re talking about the importance of establishing trust as an important community value in your coworking space.
A few weeks back, I gave a professional development seminar at the Comcast Interactive Media group, and this topic came up indirectly. The question was asked, “what makes a coworking space such a hotbed of innovation?” While the diversity of talent is certainly one of the aspects, even diversity provides little value without a network of trusted between the talent that works together.
Proximity helps too, but the most important thing you can do is lead by example. More on that topic coming up soon.
In the mean time, enjoy our video on building communities of trust!
Mashable + IndyHall v2.0 = MASSIVE Philly Party, you’re invited!
Filed under: Announcements, Community Support, Events, Independents Hall
It’s springtime. That means it’s time to party. And we are TOTALLY stoked to be celebrating in 2009. The world isn’t perfect, but we sure have a lot to celebrate. In just a few weeks, we’ll be joining forces with Mashable to throw one of the best parties we’ve ever had.
Mashable.com, for those of you who aren’t familiar, was voted into the Top 25 best blogs of 2009 by Time Magazine and focuses on social networking, social media, and the ever elusive “web two point oh!”. I’ve had the pleasure of writing for Mashable a couple of times, not the least of which was an article I wrote about the Top 6 Reasons to Start Coworking.
Mashable’s made a name for themselves not just online, but offline, hosting parties and events all over the country. On Friday, May 1st, Mashable is coming to Philadelphia for the first time. They contacted us to partner with their events team on a Mashable Mixer Philly, which we are working together on to organize, promote, and of course the Mashable team will be attending! Their NYC-based team includes: Adam Ostrow (Editor-in-Chief), Sharon Feder (Features Editor), Adam Hirsch (Chief Operations Officer), Brett Petersel (East Coast Events Director).
It gets even better. May 1st marks the our move-in date for the new IndyHall offices on 20 North 3rd Street, and we’re using this opportunity to blow the doors off and celebrate the growth of our community, many of whom are almost as big Mashable fans as they are IndyHall fans. We’ve all worked hard and come together to make Philadelphia a better place to do the things we love. Craptastic economy be damned, our community is thriving. And most importantly, we’re having the time of our lives doing it. That, my friends, is worth celebrating.
This time, we’re trying a new venue: Cavanaugh’s Riverdeck is an awesome, open venue on Delaware Ave, just a few minutes from Old City. We picked this location for size, the possibility of an outdoor venue in the springtime, and a chance to work with a new venue. Also, we know that lots of people will want to come in from out of town, and we thought that parking in that area would probably be easier than Old City on a Friday night.
Who’s Invited?
This event is open to the entire community. You don’t need to be an IndyHall member or a Mashable reader. You just need to be a friendly face who wants to hang out with a rad group of geeks, throw back some drinks, and enjoy each others’ company!
When, where, how?
Date: Friday, May 1st, 2009
Time: 8:00 pm Till Close (that’s 2:00 am for the out-of towners, or the non-party-goers)
Location: Cavanaugh’s River Deck, 417 N Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19123 (map)
Tickets: Open Admission, 21+ Only Please, but please register yourself on one of our Socialize Pages, so we know you’re coming
Socialize: Facebook , Meetup , Upcoming
Why?: Mashable is in town for the first time, IndyHall is growing like a teenager on miracle grow, $5 drink specials (or better…see below) and it’s a Friday night!
SPONSORS!
Mashable’s sponsor, 
DUB, “gives you a simple, smart way to exchange contact information from your mobile phone. The contact data loads directly to your existing mobile address book and updates automatically whenever your contact changes their information (phone, email, address, etc.). Create your mobile business card at www.dubmenow.com”
Want to be a sponsor?
IndyHall is looking for a few good sponsors as well. While Cav’s Riverdeck has given us a good deal on drinks, we’d like for our guests to simply come and enjoy themselves. If you’ve been to one of our events in the past, you know that we really make sure that everyone is having the best time they can, and if your company or brand would like to be a part of that, we’d love to have you on board. We’re looking to bring on a few sponsors at $250-500 each to help with the drink tab. All sponsors names, descriptions, and logos will be posted and linked to on all of the event promotion properties (including this site and Mashable.com), as well as being provided signage at the event.
Take a look at our awesome sponsor wall from our Birthday Party in August:
For interest in sponsorship, contact us ASAP!
We can’t wait to show Mashable what Philly is made of, for our new office, and for so many more announcements coming soon!
“The essential ingredient is the workers”
Filed under: coworking, FAQs, In The News, Independents Hall
The [coworking] space can be in a renovated house, large office or custom building. But the essential ingredient is the workers. “A coworking space, without the community of people to go along with it, is called ‘an office,’ “ says a Web site devoted to the concept.
Nice. We totally agree.
