There is more than a little bit of irony that, when looking for a home for their new-age workspace, the six co-founders of B:Hive Bridgeport L.L.C. settled on one of the city”™s most historic structures.
B:Hive, which opened May 17 and is in Bridgeport”™s Bijou Square development, is a co-working space aimed at drawing entrepreneurs, artists and designers and small business owners searching for something between a permanent office and a Starbucks.
The idea for B:Hive was borne out of a “longing for that design studio that we had in college where we could collaborate on projects,” said Ben Henson, a co-founder and managing partner of B:Hive and a planner for the city of Bridgeport.
“The idea of having a meeting or being able to have a discussion with other people who might be working on things is really tough when your only other options are bars and coffee shops,” Henson said.
B:Hive, which can accommodate between 50 and 60 members in its workspace at any given time, has membership options. Individuals can pay a monthly membership fee, a daily rate or can buy a five-day package at a discounted rate. Walk-ins can use the facility from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and members have 24-7 access.
“Our targets are designers or people currently working from home or aspiring entrepreneurs who don”™t want to pay $20 a square foot for their lease, or just people who want to drop in,” Henson said. “It”™s really much more than an office space ”“ it”™s a working space, a social space, a get-things-done space.”
B:Hive taps into a growing desire among startups and established companies to associate with open work settings and co-working spaces.
The Stamford Innovation Center, which is at the former city hall in downtown Stamford, includes a co-working space for entrepreneurs.
Peter Propp, vice president of marketing for the Innovation Center, said the co-working space allows for a sense of serendipity.
“The most important, influential people in solving a problem might be a person you have never met before or who you didn”™t know had the skill set or experience or contacts that they actually have,” Propp said. He said that in a collaborative environment, “the chances of you solving those problems are greatly enhanced.”
Propp said four companies work out of private offices in the Innovation Center, in addition to about 20 “co-workers.”
Chad Pavel, founder of Clutch Inspect, is among those 20 individuals. He moved his business, which is developing mobile and web applications to assist automotive technicians, from New York City to Stamford after seeing what the Innovation Center had to offer.
“What I like most is the energy and access to resources,” Pavel said. “In my four months of working here I”™ve met amazing people who I know will be lifelong friends and potential business partners.”
Cindy Froggatt, a workplace strategist with Perkins Eastman, said even larger corporations are seeking ties to co-working spaces.
“Co-working is an interesting phenomenon,” said Froggatt, who works out of the planning and design firm”™s New York City office. “It”™s one of those things, like so many technology applications now, that started as a way to serve small businesses, startups, freelancers ”“ not the typical large corporate clients. And now it has come into the mainstream.”
Froggatt said larger firms are using co-working spaces for a number of reasons, including as a contingency option for when they run out of office space or for employees who are traveling but need a temporary workplace.
“And some of them are actually hosting co-working spaces on their properties as a way of getting that energy of the startup workforce into their own buildings,” Froggatt said.
“It”™s a really great example of where large companies can learn a lot from how the freelance and startup community and small business community are solving some of their issues,” she added. “They”™re not looking for the high overhead of real estate ”“ they”™re looking for more of a sense of community.”
The co-founders of B:Hive are looking to restore that sense of community to downtown Bridgeport, Henson said.
His co-founders and co-managing partners include his wife, Amy Henson, a sixth-grade teacher; Marcella Kovac, owner and graphic designer of The Bananaland; Luke Scott, partner and creative director of MadisonMott; Madeline Rhodes, an interior and fashion designer and lifestyle coach; and Jordan Rabidou, a coder and developer of The Bananaland.
“We”™re all transplants” to Bridgeport, Henson said. “We”™re just part of that millennial cycle of kids who want to move back to the city. The city is here but there”™s not enough of the things going on that we want to be going on.”
