We came. We saw. We Spoke.

At long last, Spoke is pleased to announce the creation of Toledo’s first coworking space—Seed. What is coworking? We’re glad you asked. Coworking is a style of work which involves a shared work environment. Most importantly, coworking creates a community that helps designers, developers, independent contractors and creative professionals flourish.

Over the coming weeks, partners Gene Powell, Jamie Wright and Don Miller will be unveiling the physical plans for Seed Cowork™, our membership model and other exciting details. Until then, allow us to share the following:

• Seed Cowork will be located in historic St. Clair Village in Downtown Toledo.
• Our doors will open in the Spring.
• We’ll announce a Kickstarter campaign which will allow like-minded folks to support our project.

We’ve also provided answers to common questions to help you learn more about the project:

Q: What is coworking?
A: Coworking is about a community of like-minded creative professionals who want a different kind of place to work. A place free of cubicles and bureaucracy. A place where you can go and get inspired with fellow members. You can find more information at http://wiki.coworking.info.

Q: Is this just renting office space?
A: Seed is just a place where creative people work. It is not about the space. It is about the community. Yes, you have a membership, but the value comes from the members within the space. Renting office space is just about the space.

Q: How do I join?
A: Sign up for the newsletter here. We will be announcing those plans soon. If you want to get in early, you will also want to keep a look out for the Kickstarter campaign.

Q: Who is behind this?
A: The founding members are three independent business owners from NW Ohio: Gene Powell, Jamie Wright and Don Miller. All supporting members will have a vote and voice for where Seed goes in the future.

Q: When will this open?
A: We are opening in the Spring. An exact date will be announced once we get closer to finishing construction on the space. Join the newsletter to get a jump on that announcement.

Q: How much will a membership cost?
A: We are still working on exact figures, but we assure you that this will be very affordable. There will be multiple plans based on your needs and budget. Stay tuned for the announcement of the membership levels.

Q: Is this only for full-time members?
A: No. There will be different levels of membership to fit how you want to work.

Q: Is there parking available?
A: Yes. We realize that downtown parking can be a deterrent for some, but we have some parking available already and we’re working to make more spaces available.

Q: What is Kickstarter?
A: Kickstarter is a platform that helps you fund projects that inspire you through micro-payments. We are in the process of creating our campaign and we will share this soon.

Now is the perfect time to get involved and help us with our launch. We invite you to visit the Seed website and sign up to receive updates, announcements and exclusive invites. But don’t stop there, please help us spread the word by sharing the website link (and the Seed Cowork Twitter profile) with anyone you think will be interested in Seed Cowork.

Stay in touch. And... thank you.

by W. Gene Powell