by Julia Paulus Ogilvie
After graduating from Washington University and working to build an events company, Eric Hamblett and Christopher Holt spent their days working from home and from one coffee shop or another. “We severely missed the resource-rich environment of a college campus and the serendipitous learning experiences we had,” says Hamblett. “It became clear that if we did not join a platform that had the resources we needed, our business would quickly fail.”
Although they could envision the place they needed to work in, nothing like it existed in the Central West End, their neighborhood. So the entrepreneurial duo decided to go for it themselves, creating the co-working space TechArtista. “The TechArtista name comes from an Italian soccer term, trequartista, which describes a ‘playmaker,’” says Hamblett.
In September 2013 they met landlord Nicki Dwyer at an event she organizes, the CWE Flea. “She showed us the building, which formerly housed the Creative Producers Group, and the raw potential was just insane,” says Hamblett. “The co-working concept fit perfectly, and all parties were enthused with the prospect of bringing one to the Central West End.”
Over the fall and winter months, Hamblett and Holt refurbished the building, and they soon began gaining members. “Our first member was the executive director of the CWE Community Improvement District, and we opened our doors on May 1, 2014,” says Hamblett.
The pair distinguished TechArtista from other co-working spaces with the building’s design/layout, the amenities offered and the neighborhood location. With 30 offices of varying sizes, the space is designed for both solo entrepreneurs and companies with employees. “These are scattered throughout drop-in work areas, conference rooms and lounges,” says Hamblett. “Our most popular shared amenities include a private parking lot, a gym, phone booths, kitchens and an outdoor patio. Being in the Central West End gives our members access to a true cosmopolitan and city lifestyle. They can walk or bike to over 150 restaurants and retail boutiques and are given special discounts at partner locations.”
TechArtista also differentiates itself from other incubators by its internal operation and its external focus. “Internally, we treat TechArtista as a hospitality company,” says Hamblett. “Our goal is blur the lines between a co-working center leasing space and an incubator taking a stake. We do this by offering the exact resources any entrepreneur looking for a desk or office needs, at reasonable fixed rates.”
These resources range from logo design to press releases, financial communications and even etiquette training. “It’s the first thing everybody needs but the last thing that is offered,” says Hamblett.
Externally, Hamblett and Holt are tackling the other big elephant in the room: retention in St. Louis. “We are integrating students into our resource network and giving them opportunities to solve problems for local companies,” says Hamblett. “We believe the exposure and networking that comes from this program will fuel students to seriously consider leaving St. Louis after graduation.”
While the founders of TechArtista are working to make St. Louis a better place to live and work, their present goal is to double their membership community by January. “We’ve managed to sell offices successfully and are now excited to attract more drop-in users that rent desks in open areas,” says Hamblett. “These types of folks are consultants, freelancers, students and anyone who needs a professional space to get things done. Another goal is to utilize our venue to its fullest potential by attracting event organizers. These can be anything from salsa lessons to launch parties or even cooking classes.”
They also hope to provide opportunity by building a co-working community in St. Louis. “TechArtista is a founding member of the League of Independent Workspaces, a consortium of five co-working spaces offering reciprocity – essentially a ‘co-working visa’ program to all members,” says Hamblett. “This collaboration is an example of what our future holds, striving to increase membership value through smart partnerships.”
Submitted 10 years 55 days ago