Nicole Vasquez and Levi Baer have both built careers around community: Vasquez is the founder of The Shift, a coworking space in Uptown, and Baer runs Coffee & Conversation, a community with a monthly meet up for entrepreneurs and innovators.
In the past they've combined their mutual talents and passion for community building by consulting for a coworking space and co-organizing CONVENE, a conference for coworking managers and owners.
Now the like-minded entrepreneurs are taking the next step: This January they're opening the doors to Second Shift, a coworking space with a community focus in Logan Square, with the aim of expanding the coworking ethos outside the downtown tech crowd.
"Most people who live outside of the immediate downtown area are not going to travel there if they don’t have to, so they end up working from home or Starbucks and missing out on networking or collaboration opportunities," said Vasquez over email. "And although people in the tech/startup world all know what coworking spaces are, the majority of people outside of our industry still have never heard of coworking, meaning they’re not experiencing the benefits of it."
The coworking space, which will be located in a 5,000 square foot workspace at 3432 W Diversey Ave, will offer 125 memberships both with dedicated workspace ($325 per month) and community seating ($145 per month).
While members will have access to the usual coworking amenities, such as a variety of seating options, private meeting rooms, bike storage, coffee and snacks, a big focus will be creating a unique community within the space, and in the surrounding Logan Square neighborhood, Baer said. They'll offer professional development opportunities and community building activities such as afternoon yoga, community lunches, and an evening game night.
"Levi will be on-site every day actively creating an environment that is friendly and engaging, setting the tone that Second Shift is a place where people can make new connections and learn from each other, in addition to being their most productive selves and motivated by other people who are working just as hard on the projects they love," said Vasquez.
They're also proactively creating partnerships with Logan Square businesses and organizations to foster collaboration between members and the neighborhood including: discounts at local shops and restaurants, a youth mentorship program with students from local schools, and opening classes and professional development to the outside community. They're also planning to stay involved with organizations such as the Logan Square Neighborhood Association, The Logan Square Chamber of Commerce, and the local alderman.
Baer, who's lived in Logan Square for seven years, said choosing the neighborhood for Second Shift was a "no brainer."
"Our neighborhood coworking model provides workspace for people who don’t want to work from home but don’t have an office such as: entrepreneurs, freelancers, remote workers, creatives, students, small teams, and the side-hustlers," he said. "Logan Square has a large population these people and more."
Vasquez said a neighborhood-oriented focus is what boosted The Shift in Uptown, where she's seen parents sharing information about schools and local government officials hold community meetings. "The Shift has become a hub in the neighborhood not just for professional development, but for community-centric information and opportunities," she said.
Our goal is to build upon the strength that a neighborhood like this already holds.
Vasquez noted that Second Shift and The Shift will be separate entities, but members will have access to both locations, as well as an online platform for communication across both spaces.
Vasquez and Baer are raising money through private investors, and they're about 75 percent funded. They also just launched an Indiegogo campaign, aiming to raise $5,000 and incentivize early members with discounted memberships for rewards, including $99 for a community membership and $250 for dedicated desk space membership. They're particularly looking to draw from the surrounding neighborhood.
"Logan Square has an active freelance and entrepreneur community and we’re looking to pull members from a close radius," said Baer. "Our goal is to build upon the strength that a neighborhood like this already holds."
Note: An earlier version of this story misstated the price of a monthly membership with dedicated workspace. The story has been updated to reflect the correct amount.
