We love having the Commons on Champa in the Proximity Network! Located in Denver, Colorado, this space is unique in that they have free workspaces that are open and available to the public. We recently sat down with Strategic Manager, Jacqui Dietrich to talk about her coworking space.

 

Tell us about your coworking space. 

The Commons on Champa is Denver’s hub for entrepreneurship. It was founded in 2015 and was a vision to be a public/private partnership that would advance innovation and entrepreneurship in our city by offering a public space that’s open to any innovator. [It’s a] space for them to do their best thinking, to collaborate with others or simply to be in a place with great wifi or any other of our resources.

 

What is your favorite thing about operating this space?

My favorite thing about being a part of the Commons on Champa community is that every day is completely different. Every day an entrepreneur walks through our doors with a new idea or brings in someone new that they want to introduce to our resources. We love that so many people feel like they belong or are co-owners in everything that we do here. The entrepreneurs themselves bring so much energy into inspiring other people and pushing each other forward. It makes every day something to look forward to.

 

What is your favorite story about one of your members?

The Commons on Champa is unique in that we have workspaces that are free and open to the public, and over the last year, we’ve helped entrepreneurs that were a part of our accelerator programs get their business started. I can’t really pick one favorite, but the best part is seeing an entrepreneur that we saw 6 months ago that walked in our front door with just an idea and a lot of nervous energy. They find a community that inspires them and a mentor that really helps them out, or a resource that helps them figure out the technical aspects of what they’re working on. 6 months later, they have the confidence to launch their business and are helping others take their ideas to the next level.  

 

What is your biggest piece of advice for someone working out of a coworking space?

You can feel like part of a team even if you’re all working on different ideas, so if you really think of other people in this coworking space as potential collaborators and people who might need your support as much as you need theirs, it makes for a great day spent working long hours.