Coworking comes to Sioux Falls, with Meso opening doors in September

In the past two years, we’ve seen and featured coworking spaces popping up on the Silicon Prairie. The Foundry opened in October of 2009 in Des Moines. CAMP emerged last summer in Omaha, and we recently mentioned Vault Coworking, set to launch in Cedar Rapids this fall. The coworking phenomenon continues to spread across the…

Still a work in progress, Meso, a coworking spot in downtown Sioux Falls, is set to open its doors Sept. 1. Photo by John T. Meyer.

In the past two years, we’ve seen and featured coworking spaces popping up on the Silicon Prairie. Foundry Coworking opened in October of 2009 in Des Moines. CAMP emerged last summer in Omaha, and we recently mentioned Vault Coworking, set to launch in Cedar Rapids this fall. The coworking phenomenon continues to spread across the prairie with the arrival of Meso in Sioux Falls. 

Josh Aberson, a Sioux Falls entrepreneur and the owner of a real estate company, Green Acre, is the driving force behind Sioux Falls’ first coworking space. Set to open its doors on Sept. 1 in the heart of downtown Sioux Falls on Phillips Avenue, Meso hopes to garner a lot of excitement and attention for both tenants and passersby.

“There are a lot of professionals in Sioux Falls that crave something different,” Aberson said. “Not just something that will help them professionally, but something that personally provides creativity, collaboration, and a sense of community. Coworking provides that.”

When Meso opens, it will have a blend of permanent tenants renting a desk space as well as “nomads” who are paying a month rate to drop in and use the facilities, which include counter top workspace, two conference rooms, wifi and more. The nomad plan is where Meso got its name, with Meso being short for Mesopotamia, the ancient region often considered the cradle of civilization.

(Left: Aberson shows off the interior of Meso, Sioux Falls’ first coworking space. Photo by John T. Meyer)

Aberson described the different plans to me, saying, “Full-time membership is very selective, both on what type of business the applicant is and how well they fit with the other members. Part-time membership is for the entrepreneur on the go, the entrepreneur who travels and need a place to work and a place to bring clients to. The company nomad plan is the individual plan upgraded for those mobile business who need a place for large board meetings, client meetings. There are companies out there with maybe five employees that all work mobile but need one core place to call home.”

Permanent tenants already committed to moving in on Sept. 1 include: Green Acre; Thrifty Dakotan, a local deals site; Web Concentrate, a local web development shop; Take Permission Media Network, an online media content network focusing on podcasting; Dale Carnegie Training, the international network of business training consultants; and yours truly, 9 Clouds

Development of Meso has moved quickly as Aberson closed on the space in the end of July and began preparing the space at the beginning of August. Excitement is high amongst the space’s future tenants. Travis Dahle, who works as a Dale Carnegie consultant and also owns his own company, Dahle Communication, is ready for the move to Meso.

“The location in downtown Sioux Falls and the culture around that area is great,” he said. “Also, being a part of a community and working with people I wouldn’t otherwise work for is special. I think it’ll be a lot of fun!”

Meso offers three membership plans for people interested in coworking in Sioux Falls. Screenshot from workmeso.com.

This story is part of the AIM Archive

This story is part of the AIM Institute Archive on Silicon Prairie News. AIM gifted SPN to the Nebraska Journalism Trust in January 2023. Learn more about SPN’s origin »

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