A new coworking spot is opening on the east side of Austin to cultivate ideation and collaboration between social activists, entrepreneurs and organizers.
Notley, a local nonprofit and venture capital firm that invests in impact-driven organizations, has partnered with Capital Factory on the project. The space will serve as a hub for the Center for Social Innovation (CSI), which is an expanding community of nonprofits and social ventures launched by Notley.
Together, Notley and Capital Factory hope to boost innovation, networking and funding opportunities to support startups, nonprofits and founders focused on social change.
“The world is experiencing an emergence of social enterprise spilling out of our universities, nonprofits, and for-profit businesses,” said Dan Graham, co-founder of Notley, in a statement. “As Austin becomes the next social innovation capital, this coworking model is poised to provide an important missing piece — a space for people inciting action around social causes to connect with nonprofits, educational systems and entrepreneurial programs while coming together to drive scalable and sustainable purpose-driven ventures.”
The site is located at Springdale General and offers 10,000 square feet of private studios, lounge areas, conference rooms and work desks, with another 5,000 square feet for events and meetups. Programming will cover topics like education, climate change, poverty and access to healthcare to encourage joint efforts and networking between CSI members with similar goals.
“As Austin becomes the next social innovation capital, this coworking model is poised to provide an important missing piece.”
Additionally, Capital Factory will connect coworking members to its international circle of mentors to support founders in developing mission-driven business strategies, scaling impact and fundraising.
“By leveraging the Capital Factory network, coworking at CSI is much more than just a place to work — it connects social impact entrepreneurs to their first employees, mentors, customers and investors,” said Joshua Baer, founder and executive director of Capital Factory, in a statement. “Austin is now one of the most exciting and connected places for social innovation in the world.”
CSI’s current members include Black Fret, Half Helen Foundation, MU/DAI and The David Weekley Family Foundation. Applications are now open for coworking memberships.
