Are you in? Jailbreak Omaha to offer coworking space
Just over six months ago, I wrote a post here on SPN outlining "The State of Coworking in Omaha." In this post, I alluded to the fact that a number of people, Jeff and myself included, had been dreaming and scheming about putting together a coworking/incubator facility here in the Omaha area.
This past Saturday, the Omaha World Herald ran a story covering Jailbreak Omaha, giving a bit more insight into the project and its status. We're super excited to have the coverage in the paper, as it opens up our concept to a much wider audience, and lets us continue to gather feedback.
From the article:
Davidson said Jailbreak will be more than just shared office space.
“It's about building community and fostering collaboration.”
The Jailbreak community could be leveraged to build entrepreneurial spirit among participants, he said.
Jailbreak would not be the first small-business incubator in Omaha, but it would be the first to combine the functions of a traditional incubator that offers subsidized space and other resources with a level of collaboration that is typically associated with co-working spaces, he said.
“The goal is to be a beacon for entrepreneurs in and around Omaha,” Davidson said.
Additionally, Jeff and I gave quite a few more details when we gave a talk about Silicon Prairie News at infotec09. Here's an excerpt from that video, outlining our thoughts and goals for the space...
The long and short of it is ... it's moving forward, but slowly. We believe very strongly in putting together a fantastic place, and making it the type of place that we can all be proud of. This takes time, but we have not lost sight. This is in line with our overall goal here at SPN, which is to bring the innovators and amazing talent in Omaha and the region together -- both online and in person. A physical space like this is a major piece of the puzzle, and we're committed to making it happen.
Thoughts/questions/ideas/opinions?!?! Leave us a comment below. Let this be the place for the conversation to take place...
ARCHIVED COMMENTS
I think Jailbreak is a great idea. How cool to have space and a model for up and coming companies with up and coming leaders to learn from established and innovative Omaha professionals. Can't wait to see how it works.
I agree this is a great idea, but "Jailbreak" sounds like a work-release program for parolees. I like the Aksarben Village area, but this would also be a great fit for Benson, which has available space at reasonable rents, plus an emerging music scene at night.
Is there a per-person cost? Can I house a 10 person company there?
@Kent - Thanks for the comment, I *sort* of agree on the name, it has its problems. It was a code name (and perhaps still is). We're open to other good ideas though! Bensen is a great area for sure. Where to house this has been a hard problem all along, as there are many great areas of town that would be a great fit, but for one reason or another, Aksarben Village has stayed towards the top. Personally, I'd love to be downtown, but I'm naturally biased because I live there. However, nothing is 100% in stone yet, and we will continue to evaluate.
@Lateef - Yes absolutely! One of the goals of JBO is to support not only the freelancers, but also the startup companies that want to be part of the culture and environment as well. The pricing for coworking (open desk seating) will be be a per-desk rate, but the pricing for "walled" off offices will be more typical cost-per-square-foot. Regardless of whether you require the privacy of an office, or desire the openness of the coworking space, the goal is to foster interaction and collaboration between all of the people in the space, to give it a sense of "vibrancy" and community.