Reenergize your weekly routine with a visit to one of Tallahassee-Leon County’s collaborative Wednesday events. From Women Wednesdays at Domi Station to Terrance Barber’s Working Class Wednesdays, there are ample options to get connected with other local entrepreneurs and small businesses.
Barbara Wescott, founder and CEO of the local startup Swellcoin, has created a program to welcome and encourage more people to take advantage of and grow the opportunities at our community co-working and incubator spaces. This passion for bringing all members of the community into the entrepreneurial fold fuels her weekly Women Wednesdays coworking events, and their efforts to make Tallahassee ranked as a #1City4Women.
“We want everyone represented in this fastest growing field of opportunity. The more women and minorities that participate in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, the better off the entire community.” —Barbara Wescott
Wescott also believes that every entrepreneur needs a team or support from others: even if you’re not the one with the idea, she says, you may have the talent needed to lift an idea off of the ground. Co-working helps facilitate those connections in emerging startups. She wants all people (women in particular) to feel included and needed in the startup community. According to Wescott, the average age of a woman starting a business is 40. Therefore, while it is important to increase the ranks of younger people, she suggests that we cannot overlook the older female demographic that has substantial life experience and talent to bring to the table.
Women Wednesdays also regularly features lunch-and-learn presenters that cover topics like the importance of strong personal credit for a startup business. Learn more about Women Wednesdays here.
Terrance Barber also believes that working together can boost our local economy. He started the monthly Working Class Wednesday networking mixer to help bring together small business owners, entrepreneurs, and members of the working class.
“Working Class Wednesday gives local business owners the opportunity to network with actual community residents – their current and future patrons – in a comfortable environment. They have the chance to brand or rebrand themselves, and build new clientele within the local community.” —Terrance L Barber
To date, Working Class Wednesday has partnered with several local venues to host the event. The trade show main event rotates locations, but the business mixer and happy hour is usually held at Level 8. For times and locations, follow @Working Class Wednesday on Facebook or Instagram. This event, like Women Wednesdays, is FREE and open to the public.
The Tallahassee-Leon County Office of Economic Vitality is proud to announce that the latest Leading Metro Locations report published by Area Development magazine highlights the continued economic strength and competitiveness of the Tallahassee Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The rankings, which evaluated all 410 metro areas across the nation based on key economic indicators such as […]
We’re partnering with local organizations to assess workforce needs in our community, and we need your insight! This survey is designed to help us understand the workforce challenges businesses face and identify areas where training, resources, and support can make the biggest impact. Your feedback will help shape programs that strengthen our local workforce and […]