The College of Business Administration at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) is proud to be named exclusive presenting sponsor of the Downtown Huntsville Co-Working Space, a shared working environment managed by BizTech that will debut on Northside Square this spring.
"You look at peer cities across the country, and the ability for entrepreneurs and innovators to have a temporary space they can use is an increasingly popular choice among the creative class," says Chad Emerson, CEO of Downtown Huntsville Inc. "So this will be Huntsville's first downtown co-working space where entrepreneurs, innovators, and creative types of all kinds can sign daily, monthly, or yearly memberships."
As the exclusive presenting sponsor, UAH will receive 10 free memberships in addition to use of the space on evenings and weekends for UAH-related events. That's great news for Dr. John Whitman, visiting assistant professor of entrepreneurship and leadership at the College of Business Administration and interim director of the Innovation, Commercialization, and Entrepreneurship Lab (ICE Lab). He's already got big plans for the space.
...the ability for entrepreneurs and innovators to have a temporary space they can use is an increasingly popular choice among the creative class.
"Now we will be able to host film nights for Huntsville startup entrepreneurs to show and discuss their favorite films with the public, business pitch events that will be open to everyone, accelerator workshops to boost the effectiveness of startup entrepreneurs, hacker nights for coders without managers, and much more," says Dr. Whitman, who also hosts a bi-weekly meeting for Huntsville startups.
To him, the space is like a modern-day explorer's club, "the Huntsvillian Reform Club, if you will," where the city's entrepreneurs can announce their ventures and return later to share their experiences with other aspiring adventurers.
"That's the ethos we hope to achieve for successful and aspiring entrepreneurs and their financiers," he says. "It's just going to be fun, and we are delighted that the College of Business Administration can create and offer these educational and exciting experiences right in downtown Huntsville."
It's all just one more piece of the College's plan to help catalyze and nurture an entrepreneurial mindset in Huntsville, says Dr. Caron St. John, Dean of the College of Business Administration.
"In addition to many programs and projects to involve high school and college students in entrepreneurial activities on campus and in the community, the College offers an Entrepreneurs Roundtable each semester – a conversation with successful entrepreneurs in a particular industry sector," she says, adding that the next roundtable is scheduled for Thursday, April 17, at 5:30 in Chan Auditorium and will include Mark Spencer, founder of Digium; Michael Comperda, CTO of CURSE; and Matt Fowler, founder of Solid Earth. "It is exciting to be part of a co-working space that will help launch new entrepreneurial ventures."