With some combined focus and a vision for what can be, Decatur, Ill., can be a destination for young entrepreneurs looking to solve global problems in central Illinois.
Students from Millikin University's Innovation Lab course held a "conceptual open house" for a community co-working space in downtown Decatur on Monday, Dec.5.
Co-working spaces are more than just common office spaces, they can be instruments of change bringing diverse community resources together to invigorate and engage an entrepreneurial ecosystem. The open house gave the public the opportunity to contribute to a growing conversation and imagination process about a local co-working space for everyone from small entrepreneurs to large corporate innovation groups.
"This has been a really cool project and it's certainly had frustrations but they've pulled this together very well and I'm pleased," said Julie Shields, course instructor and director of Millikin's Center for Entrepreneurship. "The engaging conversation that has taken place has been encouraging as well."
Decatur can leverage its new fiber connection and its lower cost of living to bring some of the best and brightest to work on corporate, global and social challenges.
Daniel Rivera, a sophomore business management major from Franksville, Wis., says a majority of attendees enjoyed the event and thought it was a great idea for the future.
"They're excited for the new way and the work type styles they can have," said Rivera. "This is a cheaper and easier way for people to go to have a place to stay and work eight hours or just two and have an opportunity to meet and collaborate with others."
The space has not officially launched but the students have completed the market research this semester to hand the idea off to someone in the community interested in making it happen.
Click here to read more in an article from NowDecatur WSOY-AM.