Innovation Quarter has finally got its “front door.”
After several months in a soft-launch phase, Sparq – a collaborative, 7,000-square-foot space dedicated to assisting startups and entrepreneurs – has officially opened in the Bailey Power Plant building.
A startup and small business launchpad, Sparq’s mission is to connect entrepreneurs with the resources of Winston-Salem’s innovation ecosystem – particularly in Innovation Quarter.
“[Many of our members are] startups in the very beginning phases of their businesses where a simple business plan or idea might be all they have,” said Jessica Aveyard, Sparq’s membership and operations manager. “We’re here to help them spark a little bit more and grow as much as they can in Innovation Quarter.”
Sparq has about 75 members and will now ramp up its recruiting efforts.
Check out Sparq's amenities and different work-place options in photos below
Sparq in Innovation Quarter
In addition to affordable coworking space, Sparq provides networking opportunities and facilitates connections with other IQ tenants. SparqConnects is the launchpad’s concierge-style service that will help connect entrepreneurs to the resources they need to grow their businesses.
“Members can come to use with needs or requests. Maybe they need a copyright lawyer or they’re looking for someone to help them write their business plan,” Aveyard said. “We have a vast amount of people within Innovation Quarter that we can connect them with. Our goal is to use those relationship we already have here.”
Sparq has also partnered with HUSTLE Winston-Salem, the entrepreneurial support organization dedicated to minority- and women-founded startups, to offer programs and events such as networking and office hours, Aveyard said. Together, they will offer three networking opportunities for members per month, according to Aveyard.
TBJ reported that HUSTLE moved into Sparq last summer and has 10 community access badges to provide to local entrepreneurs.
Sparq offers space, membership options
With its 6,952 total square feet, Sparq ranks as the eighth-largest coworking, incubator or accelerator space in the Triad, according to TBJ research.
Sparq has several different options for an entrepreneur to work: many of its open spaces are first-come, first-served seating arrangements – including its four phone booths – but there are also five conference rooms that members can reserve for up to four hours per day.
In addition, Sparq has 10 designated desks. As one of its membership options, a person will be assigned their own desk in a badge-restricted area. The standing-capable desks are fully outfitted with dual monitors and both Mac- and PC-friendly docking stations.
Sparq also has 15 small keyman offices and seven keyman office suites. Although these are leased through the Bailey Power Plant’s building management, these workers still receive the same access to amenities as Sparq members.
Here is a breakdown of Sparq’s membership options:
- Day pass ($20) – one day of coworking access
- Virtual ($100) – provides designated mailbox for physical address and one day of coworking access per month
- Limited ($150) – coworking access from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays
- Unlimited ($200) – coworking access 24/7
- Designated desk ($350) – personal desk in badge-restricted area, available for a three-month lease
- Team ($500) – coworking access 24/7 for up to five team members
Amenities 'second to none'
Aveyard hopes that, as startups grow, they will “graduate” from Sparq’s general space to its designated desks to its keyman offices.
In Sparq’s kitchen, there are light refreshments and a fully stocked coffee bar featuring beans from fellow Bailey Power Plant tenant Anchor Coffee Co. For those wanting to unwind or get the creative juices flowing, there are four beers on tap from Incendiary Brewing Co., also an Innovation Quarter tenant, available every day from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Members also get free parking and WiFi and access to printing and multimedia capabilities.
The value of Sparq and its amenities is “second to none,” said Stuart Mease, who has been a member since last summer.
“If you’re a small business with only a handful of people, why would you go somewhere else?” Mease, who works as the director of North Carolina operations for ROCS Grad Staffing, said.
There’s also the added benefit of being in the heart of downtown Winston-Salem.
“Everything is so compact. You’ve got food options, walkability, a park,” he said. “It’s just a cool building. It's like, 'where’s your office?’ You say, ‘it’s in downtown Winston, just look for the smokestacks. It has that cachet.”
