An entrepreneur who has launched three business incubators in Dayton is converting one of her locations into a co-working facility that will also offer education, events and space for local vendors to sell their products.
Tae Winston, owner of The Entrepreneurs Marketplace, The Entrepreneurs Shoppe and The Entrepreneurs Connection, has announced the latter location has been repurposed to focus more on co-working and educational offerings for startups, aspiring business owners and anyone who needs a place to work.
The Entrepreneurs Connection, which opened in April at 200 Wayne Ave. in the Oregon District, launched as a multi-purpose facility with a retail showroom in front, boutiques in the back and classroom space along the hallways for education sessions featuring business trainers. Though education was always planned for the space, Winston decided to expand these offerings and add co-working stations — a shift from the retail focus that marked the location's first few months.
"The Entrepreneurs Connection was always supposed to be a learning center even from the beginning, but I wasn't as focused on that because I kept taking local boutiques," Winston said. "Now the entire building has been revamped into co-working space, and we're also focused on education because more and more people have said they needed help with starting their business rather than a place to sell their products."
Though The Entrepreneurs Connection will still have a small amount of space for vendors to sell their products, Winston has added work stations that come with tables and chairs, laptops and free WiFi. She said there is room for about 20 people to work there at the same time.
The 1,300-square-foot location will also feature a private office that can fit between six and seven people, as well as a separate room for podcasting that can accommodate around 10 people. Anyone utilizing these spaces will have access to a 100-inch projector and large TV, lighting equipment, headphones and speakers.
"Everything you would need for an office or to do a live show or podcast we'll have available for you," Winston said.
The Entrepreneurs Connection also will host weekly speakers and classes for people to learn how to start or grow a business. Winston advised anyone interested in leading or attending these education sessions to visit her website at daytonpowerhouse.com.
"Every week we'll be doing events, and we'll also do some stuff late at night," she said. "We'll have things like spoken word, late night podcasts and vision board parties as well as our other events throughout the week."
Other features of the revamped Entrepreneurs Connection include a cafe and products from local vendors such as Mutt's Sauce, All Things Savory Catering, Besser Hair Care and others.
A grand re-opening for The Entrepreneurs Connection will be held on Oct. 5. When it launches, it will be open 24 hours a day Wednesdays through Sundays. Memberships include daily and monthly rates that range from $5 to $40.
