Kristian Grant is a connecter, entrepreneur and businesswoman.
Her newest venture is a direct reflection of her talents: the
12 Oakes Business & Innovation Center.
The business is located, naturally, at 12 Oakes SE in downtown Grand Rapids and is a co-working space designed to help people build their business, learn, meet and network with other entrepreneurs, and maintain a low overhead while they grow their venture.
Grant says the inspiration for 12 Oakes is directly from her personal journey. “I’ve been looking for office space for myself and was talking to a lot of other entrepreneurs about the process,” she says. “I kept hearing, ‘I can’t wait to I get to that point.’ So I decided to create something to support the people who need a stepping stone for their business.”
Besides being encouraged by other entrepreneurs, Grant says she has spent time researching other co-working spaces and has immersed herself in the small business and tech community. “I wanted to take the spirit of emerge (previously part of GR Current) and Startup Weekend and apply it to this space,” she explains.
12 Oakes will be able to support up to 10 entrepreneurs. The cost is $99 per month, with a three month contract. It has all the typical amenities of co-working spaces: technology, meeting space, work space, receptionist and beverage service. Plus, it will feature monthly workshops by successful business people with a focus on helping entrepreneurs understand the realities of starting and running a business. “We want honesty,” Grant says. “People to talk about real topics.” She says the first speaker, Tami VandenBerg, Well House’s Executive Director and co-owner of The Meanwhile and the Pyramid Scheme, is a great example of the type of speakers she will be featuring. “She is a successful business woman [who is] involved in the community and raising a family at the same time,” Grant says.
To learn more about 12 Oakes, you can visit their
Facebook page here.
Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs News Editor
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