Mike Kaltschnee felt slighted. Put off. Annoyed.
“And nothing gets an entrepreneur going like being annoyed,” Kaltschnee said.
It was January 2012 and Connecticut Innovations Inc. ”” the state”™s quasi-governmental investment fund ”” was on the verge of announcing its Innovation Ecosystem initiative.
At the time, few resources existed for entrepreneurs in search of startup guidance outside the Hartford-New Haven corridor, and there was little if any talk of creating an incubator in Danbury.
“The irony of that is, statistically, all of our numbers” ”” from the region”™s 6.6 percent unemployment rate to its commercial real estate absorption rate ”” “are leading the state,” said Bruce R. Tuomala, economic development director for the city of Danbury.
“Danbury ”” our region ”” has the second-highest per capita income in the state,” Tuomala said. “We have the lowest unemployment rate in the state. The fact that we were completely out of the loop in the high-tech discussion … was frustrating.”
So Kaltschnee and Jon Gatrell sought to form an innovation hub of their own in Danbury, with Kaltschnee saying the next step is to link up with the statewide ecosystem initiative.
“We realized that the way to create these high-growth companies ”” maybe even find the next Facebook ”” is to help these entrepreneurs get started,” Kaltschnee said. While the Hackerspace has yet to open, its co-founders are already in contact with a dozen companies that have expressed interest in participating.
Danbury Hackerspace Inc., a nonprofit that looks to combine the features of a business incubator and with a venue for people interested in computers and technology, is set to open this summer at the former Union Savings Bank space that adjoins the Danbury Library.
The Hackerspace came about as the result of a request for proposals issued by the city for the 4,500-square-foot site being vacated by Union Savings Bank, which moved into a larger space in the downtown.
With the help of $550,000 in funds allocated last November by the city, the Hackerspace will feature an open co-working space, light industrial equipment such as a 3-D printer, a café and an office that will be used by SCORE, a nonprofit backed by the U.S. Small Business Administration that provides small business education and mentoring services.
Kaltschnee said it was unusual for a hackerspace ”” of which there are more than 1,000 nationally ”” to receive the level of government support his venture has gotten from Danbury officials.
“When we started this in January (2012), I bumped into the mayor and said, ”˜My partner and I are interested in starting a hackerspace in Danbury.”™ And he said, ”˜I know what they are ”¦ pitch me on it.”™”
Tuomala said “It was a no-brainer for us,” adding, “We want to be the technology hub of western Connecticut.”
Kaltschnee said he and Gatrell would happily oblige.
“We need to build a network of entrepreneurs,” Kaltschnee said, applauding Connecticut Innovations”™ efforts at creating such a network. “Now that we”™re tied into this, we”™re going through the process to become the next hub.”
Changing tide
The Hackerspace is among the centerpieces of a citywide effort to attract more businesses and patrons to downtown Danbury.
“We”™ve really been trying to change things up because we have a commitment to the downtown ”” we want to make this a vibrant downtown,” said Andrea Gartner, managing director of CityCenter Danbury.
Prior to the fall of 2008, CityCenter Danbury, which formally manages the Danbury Downtown Special Services District, had focused primarily on arts and culture, dining and entertainment.
“Of course, October 2008 changed everything,” Gartner said. “What we see our focus on now is higher education and learning. ”¦ With the innovation center (Danbury Hackerspace) coming in on top of that, it just feeds really well into what”™s been bubbling under the surface.”
Last November, in addition to approving $550,000 to renovate the former Union Savings Bank and to outfit the Hackerspace, the Danbury City Council approved new incentives for downtown businesses and voted to lift a moratorium on café liquor licenses.
With plans by BRT General Corp. to build a 580-unit affordable and market-rate housing development just off Main Street and ongoing expansions by Western Connecticut State University and Naugatuck Valley Community College, Gartner said momentum is building.
“We have an incredibly low crime rate. We have a walkable downtown. We have an attractive inventory of historic buildings … and the public transportation comes right downtown,” she said. “It”™s that holistic approach.”
[Editor’s note: This article has been updated to note that the Danbury Hackerspace is in contact with 12 companies that have expressed interest in participating once the Hackerspace opens this summer. A previous version, citing a co-founder, stated that the 12 companies had already signed on as participants.]
