Elevate Coworking may be just four months old, but it's already proving itself to be a gem of a spot for professionals looking to find a place to work — and play. It’s Charlestown location is only about a mile from the beach.
At first blush, that distinction may make it seem a bit different than the “typical coworking venue,” largely urban and sprawling. Co-founder Genny Plas agreed, saying that it’s this contrast that’s help set Elevate apart.
“It’s an innovative idea for an area like this,” Plas said. “[Charlestown] is more of a rural setting, off the beaten path.” Infrastructure in the town is limited, and the local library is more of a bustling community center than a quiet place to work, she added.
That hasn’t kept professionals coming, and they need a place to work, too. “It’s a great success with our vacationers,” she continued. Like people who are renting a beach house, perhaps, and need an hour or two away from the bustle of a packed cottage or the distraction of a coffee shop.
“We didn’t want it to be a beach office, but we did want to give a nod to the beach."
In fact, Plas told me, it was vacationers on a mission that got the Elevate Coworking ball rolling. Previously a vacant dance studio, the space’s coworking story began in 2016 when tourists approached business owner and Elevate co-founder Craig Maar about using the space for a few hours every day to get work done.
Once the winter came and vacationers went home, Plas, Maar and the team began considering how to best move forward with the space. It was clear coworking was a hit, locally, and on the move, culturally. So, after viewing other similar spots, they decided that this old dance studio could have a second life as a coworking venue. Light remodeling work began, as well as developing a mindful decoration scheme.
“We really thought about how we could create a really quiet and also really collaborative [spot],” Plas said. “We focused on the decorations; making it fresh, making it inviting.”
The result is a comfortable, 1,000 sq.-ft. space, with couches, private offices, and conference rooms, all in soothing blue and gray tones. “We didn’t want it to be a beach office, but we did want to give a nod to the beach,” she said.
The spot boasts a host of other amenities, like printing services, free parking, a stocked minifridge (wine included) and, of course, dream location, location, location.
That means access to a deli on the first floor, and a helpful on-site locked storage space, where members can shelve their bikes, kayaks, or paddle boards. It’s a well-used perk; again, Elevate is sitting pretty just a mile from the shore. Members can (and do) punctuate their work by “jump[ing] out for a couple of hours and go to the salt ponds or the beach,” Plas said.
But Elevate coworking doesn’t just want to be a pretty face. It’s mission, Plas told me, is best summed up by its logo — two people in a sort of circle, with arms uplifted. “[We want to] bring disparate folks together, and together improve their experience,” she said. “I think it is our goal is to really be a connector, and it has worked out really well. And it’s fun!”
So far, the Elevate team has been doing just that. Its client list is robust and diverse, including students looking to find a quiet place to study when their university library isn’t open, lawyers, software developers and sales reps. It’s moved past just attracting vacationers and has a group of local regulars, too.
Plas cites Elevate’s accessibility as part of its early success. “Not having to drive up to Providence is the biggest deal,” she continued. For professionals, “that’s the whole reason they’re working out of their homes, so they don’t have to commute. Even a small space [can be helpful.].”
