Category: Coworking

SpaceLab is Open for Business and Operating with Caution

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As current events and messaging about the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) evolve, we continue to monitor and implement recommendations by government and health officials, practicing social distancing, postponing live events or taking them online, and following the preventive measures outlined on our website and posted in our offices.

We know that many in our community may be experiencing disruptions in work and regular daily life. As small business owners ourselves, we understand that the current conditions may be especially difficult for SMBs, entrepreneurs, freelancers and remote workers. While we are taking precautions, SpaceLab’s coworking spaces, offices and meeting rooms remain open for our members and guests. However, we are implementing the following changes for the foreseeable future:

  • Members with a keycard or keyfob will still have access to desk and meeting space and assigned private offices at both downtown and Seven Mile Road locations.
  • Virtual/Mailbox members are asked to schedule their pick up times, either by calling the reception desk or using your mail app.
  • Day Passes for the downtown location are available for download through Eventbrite. We have decreased the number of passes available each day to allow for social distancing (six feet to 10 feet between coworkers).
  • Day Passes have been suspended at the Seven Mile Road location.
  • Meeting rooms for small teams are available for rent, and private offices are available for short-term lease. Call 313-379-7000 or use the “Apply” button on our website to contact us for a reservation.

Our offices are cleaned each evening by a professional cleaning team, disinfected at mid-day, and meeting rooms are disinfected after each use.

SpaceLab wants to keep you connected to a business and urban innovator community. Watch our event calendar for upcoming online events and presentations.

Wishing you health and prosperity,

Karen Burton
Co-founder and CEO
SpaceLab Detroit

SpaceLab’s Preventive Practices against Coronavirus

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SpaceLab logo

Updated Monday, March 16, 2020

SpaceLab Members, Guests and Friends:

We request that you join with us in following the preventive measures while working at and visiting SpaceLab locations as outlined below and as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization for the protection of us all.

While SpaceLab is thouroughly cleaned and disinfected every evening by a professional cleaning team and hard surfaces are disinfected during the day by building maintenance, we all need to do our part to reduce the spread of germs throughout the day.

  • Stay home if you are sick.
  • If you’ve traveled to a country that has a Level 3 Travel Health Notice (widespread, ongoing transmission), including China, Italy, Iran and South Korea, do not come to SpaceLab. You should stay home for at least 14 days from the time you left that country and practice social distancing. 
  • If you think you have been exposed to COVID-19 and develop a fever and symptoms, such as cough or difficulty breathing, call your healthcare provider for medical advice.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use at least a 60% alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
  • Hand sanitizer will be available in SpaceLab’s public areas and restrooms.
  • Antibacterial disinfectant spray and wipes are under the sink and will be in open work areas. 
  • Practice social distancing. Work at least six to 10 feet from the next person.
  • Wipe down your work surfaces, keyboards, arm rests and other surfaces. The cleaning crew will not move anything on your desk. They will only wipe down clear areas.
  • Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects, including your mobile phone.
  • Disinfect the kitchen counter and microwave after preparing your food.
  • Do not leave dirty dishes in the sink or on the counter. Place them in the dishwasher or wash them immediately.
  • Put food garbage in the trash receptacles in the kitchen. Rinse out beverage containers and place them in the recycle bins.
  • Disinfect meeting rooms after your meeting, before exiting the room. Wipes or spray will be available.
  • Avoid touching your face.
  • Cover nose or mouth with a tissue or flexed elbow when coughing or sneezing.
  • Choose an alternative to hand-shaking (fist bump, touch elbows, nod, wave). Avoid close contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms.

If you haven’t already, consider putting the tips above into practice at home and other places you visit as well.

Additionally:

We have canceled or postponed all upcoming live, in-person events. Watch our event calendar for upcoming online events and presentations.

All visitors should sign in at the reception desk so we can keep a record in case of a local confirmed case. Members, please inform your guests of the sign-in policy, and escort them to your workspace.

Members, please make sure we have your current contact information (email address and mobile number) so that we can contact you in case of emergency.We value your health and safety. Be well!

Karen Burton
Co-founder and CEO
SpaceLab Detroit

Apply for SpaceLab’s Saturday Market, part of the Detroit Black Business Crawl

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Saturday, Feb. 22 is the Detroit Black Business Crawl! SpaceLab Detroit is sharing our space with makers, creators and vendors to showcase creative, unique home accessories, clothing, and gifts in our 9th floor event space. Interested food vendors, email karenb@spacelabdetroit.com.

Market hours: 10 AM – 5 PM.

Apply today! Vendors will be will be notified by email or phone call.

APPLY FOR THE MARKET

We’ll also have free open coworking. Reserve your seat, and bring your ticket. Drop in at a desk, the work bar or work café to work for the day, and network and collaborate with Detroit’s urban innovators, professionals and entrepreneurs.

2020 Resolution: Be Connected, Be Credible

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How many time have you heard, “It’s not what you know, but who you know?” Building meaningful business relationships is a priority for growing a sustainable business. Here at SpaceLab, we’re grateful for our dynamic community of established professionals – members who support each other by sharing information, procuring services, and collaborating on projects. We not only build structures, communities and cities; we build lasting relationships.

Currently, all of our private offices are rented, but we still have room to grow. We’re creating new opportunities for membership by building out more offices on our 9th floor. And, we have Flex Desk, Dedicated Desk memberships available. Both desk memberships come with 24/7 secured access to the space and conference room time that does not end when we close the front desk at 6 PM.

Our members are urban infrastructure professionals, and we are looking to complement their services with the following services: Web Development, Social Media Ad Marketing, Small Business Accounting, Graphic Design, Mobility, Commercial Real Estate and Construction Tech, and Smart Building Systems.

Make moving to SpaceLab’s professional community your first decision for growing your business in the new year. We’ll waive the application fee through January 31, 2020. (Apply) If you’re all set with space, but know someone who needs it, refer them and we’ll give you a $25 gift card to one of the great restaurants near our office if they become a member.

To your prosperity!

Karen A.D. Burton, Co-founder and CEO

Bobby Burton, Co-founder and COO

The Opportunity Network lands at SpaceLab Detroit

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The Opportunity Network (OppNet), a New York-based nonprofit, has become a member of SpaceLab Detroit.

OppNet connects students from historically and systematically underrepresented communities to college access and success, internships, career opportunities, and personal and professional networks. ​Students participate in an intensive, six-year program designed to equal the playing field for high-achieving, underserved high school and college students by creating access for them to career opportunities, professional networks and competitive colleges. 

Ninety-eight percent of OppNet students are accepted to selective 4-year colleges with demonstrated financial need met. 100% graduate from college in six years and 85% in four years. 85% leverage their Career Fluency® to secure career track employment or admission to graduate school within six months of college graduation.

OppNet envisions a nation connected through vibrant communities and networks actively in pursuit of social justice and educational equity – a nation where all young people can freely create their own path to enduring success that honors their passions, ambitions, and full identities.

The organization has most recently partnered with the Reach Higher Initiative, launched by former First Lady Michelle Obama, for its 5th annual Beating the Odds Summit at Howard University in Washington, DC. OppNet led a series of workshops covering key skills and concepts needed to thrive throughout college to more than 50 first-generation college students.

Jujuan Buford brings business expertise to SpaceLab community

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SpaceLab welcomes Jujuan Buford and JSB Business Solutions to our community of professionals.

From Jujuan S. Buford’s bio:

JuJuan Buford is a native Detroiter, successful entrepreneur, public speaker, and business development specialist. He’s dedicated to helping families, entrepreneurs, and business owners establish thriving enterprises, achieve financial independence, and build lives of satisfaction.

Jujuan is driven by the belief that entrepreneurship is empowerment. He brings approximately 20 years of experience gained from the banking and financial planning industry. As a business development professional with JSB Business Solutions LLC, Jujuan helps small business owners navigate the same challenges that large corporations are confronted with: research and development, securing more clients, increasing profits, scaling, retaining talented employees, making better financial, tax & accounting, and legal decisions, and protecting their business interests.

JSB Business Solutions poster

Detroit Startup Week Interview: Karen Burton, Making and Taking Space in Detroit

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Tash Moore, head blogger for Detroit Startup Week and founder of Catch-313 social media agency interview SpaceLab’s CEO Karen Burton on Medium.

Tash Moore: Thank you so much for chatting with me? You run SpaceLab Detroit, the coworking space downtown geared toward architecture, community development, and like-minded firms. How did you discover coworking?

Karen Burton: Thanks for the opportunity, Tash. I opened my first design and drafting business years ago in Flint. I started in a 70 square foot office in an incubator just north of downtown called the Oak Business Center, which is still operating today. There were a variety of businesses there — professional services and retail with a conference room to share — but at the time everyone seemed pretty disconnected. I thought there could be a better way for businesses to share resources and collaborate.

I see [Detroit] as a top-tier entrepreneurial hub for the country. There are so many resources available and a wealth of opportunities for innovation. – Karen Burton

Freelancing as an architectural designer, the traditional “third places” like coffee shops and libraries didn’t always fit my needs or my colleagues’. We’d need a place to print construction documents and large tables to lay them out for review when meeting with clients. There were many of us solopreneurs who wanted to collaborate on larger projects, and we needed somewhere to come together. The idea for our design and construction-focused coworking space began to develop some time ago, but the timing was perfect in 2015 after I left a job. The following year, my husband Bobby left his, and we decided to pursue the SpaceLab concept together.

TM: With associated partnerships with NOMA Detroit and AIA Detroit, your space really highlights inclusion in a field that doesn’t showcase as much diversity nationally. Besides our majority-black population, what else do you believe makes Detroit special?

KB: I’m proud of my connections with those organizations, as well as with NAWIC and NABWIC, the women in construction groups. We want to highlight that professionals of color and women working in these fields that are so-called non-traditional for us are just as educated and qualified and can lead and work alongside majority companies to get the projects done. SpaceLab is a diverse shared office space with members of all backgrounds and age groups. We’re thankful that people choose to grow their businesses with us.

Women are leading the way in entrepreneurship and startups… Read the entire article on Medium >>>

Architects and Designers Discuss Commercial Design and Construction at Detroit StartUp Week

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As part of Detroit StartUp Week, SpaceLab’s member architects and designers tell how to get the most out of a relationship with these professionals and answer questions at “Ask the Architects and Designers.”

You’ve decided that you want to build out your restaurant or retail space. Should you hire an architect? What do architects do? Representatives of Detroit-based architectural firms share information on the best design practices on for your project and how to engage professional services to make your space the place that you love to come to work and welcome your customers.

Moderator: Doreen Hunter, ASID – Owner, HDesigns Group, LLC and Library Coordinator, SpaceLab Detroit

Panelists:

Wes Sims, Vice President – SDG Associates

Paul Carr, Architectural Designer – SDG Associates

Kevin Boyle, AIA, NCARB – BASIC Design

Bryan Cook, RA, NOMA – Detroit Director, Berardi + Partners

Bruce Kopytek, AIA, NCARB – Senior Architect, Fieldstone Architecture & Engineering

View the entire panel discussion here

Doreen Hunter, ASID

Doreen owns HDesigns Group and is Design Library Coordinator at SpaceLab Detroit. She has a degree in Interior Design (with a minor in Business Management) from Central Michigan University and has residential and commercial experience in her portfolio. Doreen was recently elected Finance Director of the Michigan chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers.

Kevin Boyle, AIA, NCARB, EDAC

Kevin, a licensed architect, holds both Bachelor of Science in Architecture and Master of Architecture degrees from Lawrence Technological University. Early in his career, Kevin worked on construction documentation for renovations and additions to several historic Detroit Public School structures and loft conversion projects. Significant past work includes single family residences in coastal Long Island towns, commercial projects in New York City, twin 37-story condominium towers at CityCenter in Las Vegas, and expansive work in the senior living and healthcare field.

Bryan Cook, NOMA

As the Director of Berardi Partners’ Detroit office, Bryan is instrumental in overseeing business/client development, new market sector initiatives, and talent acquisition. He also serves as Project Manager and oversees multiple projects while working directly with the client and development team in producing quality design and documents from schematic design through construction administration. Bryan is current treasurer and past president of the Detroit chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects.

Bruce Kopytek, AIA, NCARB

Bruce has 40+ years of architecture experience. His specialty in the field is creative design, for which he has received several awards and accolades, including the prestigious “Ceramic Tiles of Italy” honorable mention for his work in the financial facilities market. Bruce has designed all types of structures; from banks and retail stores to custom homes, hotels and high-rise apartments. In addition, Bruce is an author and educator, having taught for Wayne State university’s interior architecture program and counts four (a fifth is on its way) published titles and a major article in Michigan History magazine.

Professionals Share Tips: What to do before your build out your commercial space

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As part of Detroit StartUp Week, SpaceLab presents “From Build-Out to Open“

Building out your brick-and-mortar business – restaurant, retail or office – is a gargantuan task, and can sometimes feel overwhelming. How do you come to an agreement with a building owner, or buy your own building? Who do you call first after you secure the space? How much should you budget for design and construction costs? We’ve assembled an expert panel of Detroit professionals to help navigate the process and answer your questions.

Moderator: Lynnette Boyle – Principal, Beanstalk Real Estate Solutions

Panelists:

Erin Bonahoom – Founding Attorney, Canvas Legal

Sean Kelly, LLP Construction Services

Troy Puste – Broker, RISE Real Estate & Co.

Watch the entire panel discussion here

Lynnette Boyle

Lynnette has worked in the Detroit metropolitan commercial real estate industry for over 25 years. As Vice President of Property Management with Bedrock Real Estate Services, she worked on the acquisition, development and management of over 7 million square feet of downtown Detroit high-rise and mixed-use property. Lynnette has managed assets and operations of over 20 million square feet of real estate, developing and overseeing operating budgets, implementing multi-million-dollar renovation programs, helping mitigate risk of legal and financial issues, and negotiating vendor, supplier and union contracts.

Erin Bonahoom

Erin’s law practice is based in Detroit and dedicated to providing comprehensive legal services to established businesses, startups, and nonprofits in Southeast Michigan. She advises small businesses, startups and nonprofits from across a wide range of industries on formation, governance, employment, general operations, commercial real estate, construction, and contractual agreements. Erin is also a facilitator and a member of the Board of Directors for the Build Institute in Detroit, a nonprofit focused on economic development empowering the citizens of Detroit and other cities to start their own businesses.

Sean Kelly

Sean Kelly is a construction industry professional representing the LLP Construction team. Sean’s project portfolio includes commercial and industrial projects throughout the U.S. His responsibilities include; estimating, project management and business development. Sean received a bachelor’s degree in Construction Management from Michigan State University and holds the designation of “Associate Constructor” through the American Institute of Constructors.

Troy Puste

Troy is founder of RISE Real Estate & Co., a full-service Real Estate Brokerage. The firm handles residential and commercial sales and leases. Their emphasis is on Detroit’s real estate market, however they sell throughout all of Southeast Michigan.