Archive for the ‘Hive at 55’ Category

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At The Hive: Hashtag #Ashtag

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

PlantTeam

They left last night… happily!

While using the twitter hashtag #ashtag, the Plant team, a Copenhagen based digital ad company, documented their journey in New York – a trip that became extended as a result of the Icelandic volcanic eruption.

But, they didn’t let some volcanic ash disrupt their workflow!  Instead, the entire team of 11 hopped into cabs toting all of their luggage and made their way down to the Hive at 55.  You can check out their blog (http://www.plantcph.dk/blog/) documenting their journey, with geo-tagged photos no less!

After a week attending conferences and some visits to tourist destinations thrown into the mix, the Plant team knew they needed to get some work accomplished for their clients. Having followed the Hive on twitter (@hiveat55) for several months, they reached out to us the night before, with an email subject line stating: “We’re stranded for a day and need a temporary office.”

We were happy to help!

Plant rolled into the Hive (literally!) with their Macs, iPhones, newly purchased iPads and, not to forget, lots of power convertors. All they required were desks to sit at and a WiFi hotspot. They fit right in with all of our fellow Hive members, similarly tech-minded professionals who also frequently work remotely. We managed to distract them from their work throughout the day with some interviews by media – radio, television and print – but all in all, they had a few hours of normalcy in a rather disruptive week.

As Jens, co-founder of Plant, said hesitantly: “We should be leaving today…hopefully.” Their plane took off just a few hours later. While we enjoyed having Plant here for the day, we hope they made it home safely, and we’ll keep the coffee brewing for their return, anytime!

(You can see more photos of the stranded co-workers on our Flickr Page)

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Hive Company Profile: ShopKeep.com

Friday, April 9th, 2010
Jason Richelson and Cameron Peek of ShopKeep.com in their office at the Hive at 55

Jason Richelson and Cameron Peek of ShopKeep.com in their office at the Hive at 55

A few weeks ago you read about the rise of Silicon Alley, and how the Hive at 55 is no stranger to the NYC startup community. There are a handful of companies working out of our space in Lower Manhattan, mostly in the media, technology, and nonprofit industries. The latest startup to call the Hive home is a Web-based point of sale system called ShopKeep.com. They moved in on April 1st and, as you’ll see, it looks like they are a great match for the Hive.

Jason Richelson, Founder of ShopKeep.com, has really come full circle. More than ten years ago he left his desk job atPrice Waterhouseto become a co-founder of an Internet startup called InternetCash. His company was based in Lower Manhattan at 90 William Street and he learned a lot about starting a business — as well as the unique Downtown neighborhood.

When the dot-com boom and InternetCash went bust, Jason moved on to new ventures. Living in Fort Greene, Brooklyn with an intimate knowledge of Lower Manhattan, he realized both neighborhoods desperately needed a great wine store. So Jason said goodbye to his desk job and dot-com days and opened a few retail stores with Amy Bennett –- The Greene Grape Wine Stores in Fort Greene, Brooklyn in 2004 and 55 Liberty Street in Lower Manhattan in 2005, and the Greene Grape Provisions Gourmet Market a few years later. During his six years in retail, Jason has learned the trades of store owner, business manager, brand maker, and problem-solver. It sounds to me that these are all good skills to have if you want to create a new startup company!

And sure enough, that’s what happened in 2008 while vacationing in a remote place. Jason got a call from both wine stores at nearly the same time: the server was down! Realizing he couldn’t be there to fix it and the ridiculous hourly expense to hire someone who could, an idea came to mind. The wine stores needed a point-of-sale system that was based on the Web and immune to these sorts of problems. By the end of the vacation, Jason learned no such system existed, and ShopKeep.com was born.

Let me try to keep this simple, since I don’t know too much about a “cloud based point-of-sale system.” In a nutshell, ShopKeep.com is an Internet-based “register” and “back office” that allows you to ring up sales and manage inventory in a quick and easy manner. The system is accessible to store owners and managers; if you can use the Internet, you can use ShopKeep.com!

While ShopKeep.com has not officially launched, they are already running live in select stores across the country. If you own a business and are interested in this service, you can sign up for a free demonstration on their Web site. They will launch in May, and in the meantime everyone at the Hive is glad to have Jason and his new hire Cameron share in the fun and professional community at the Hive at 55.  Needless to say, Jason has come full circle: ten years later, and he’s starting yet another dot-com.

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Hive Member Profile: Marie Chandra

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

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In our second installment of member profiles at the Hive at 55, I recently chatted with Marie Chandra, who is the CEO of her own business, Via Her, Inc.

Where are you from and where do you live now? I was born, raised and educated in France.  I moved to New York 10 years ago, and have called the Financial District home for the past two years.

What industry are you in? Travel.

Describe your occupation? My company works with individuals and companies to make business travel easier for women.  30 years ago, only one percent of business travelers were women. Nowadays, women constitute about 40 to 50 percent of the total number of business travelers. We believe that the travel industry, and large corporations have not evolved fast enough to accommodate the differentiated needs of women.

Why do you work at the Hive? Although I travel frequently for work, when in NYC, I prefer working in an office instead of my apartment.  The facilities at the Hive are nice; it has everything I need, and is quite affordable.  And of course, the location: it’s walking distance from my apartment.

What do you like about working at the Hive? It keeps me focused and motivated, especially when compared to working at a coffee shop or out of my home.

How long have you been working at the Hive? Since Day One [December 1].

What days and hours have you generally been here? All day, two or three days a week. It depends on when I am in New York!

How has your business or work style changed by working at the Hive? I feel much more comfortable meeting clients, prospects and partners here, especially when compared to a coffee shop or home office.

How do you think your business will improve or grow from working at the Hive? Establishing a professional image is important for me; and the Hive contributes to that. I’ve been thinking about organizing workshops here as well.

What’s your favorite thing about Lower Manhattan? I live and work here!  The transportation network is great. Almost every subway line stops here. Despite what a lot of people think, there is a real life here during the evenings and weekends with new restaurants and bars opening on a weekly basis. The neighborhood has become very residential and there is a real sense of community.  I used to live on the Upper East Side, and in Midtown; and rarely spoke to my neighbors. Now my neighbors are my friends and we go out for dinner, play sports together…

Where do you go to lunch when you’re at the Hive? Pret-A-Manger, it’s right across the street.

Do you have a hidden talent or secret hobby? I have a very keen sense of smell.  I used to work in project management for the fine fragrance industry.

What’s your favorite music/band, TV show, movie? I am a big Madonna fan.  She’s one of the few artists / performers that has remained successful and on the cutting edge for over 20 years! I also love movies and am a member of the Film Society of Lincoln Center.

Is there someone professionally or in your industry you admire? Richard Branson.  Although he can be a little over the top sometimes.

A fun fact you want to share about yourself? It is not really a fun fact per se, but I love tennis and try to play at least twice a week.

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The Hive at 55 – The Rise of Silicon Alley

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010

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With the change in the economic climate, it seems the talk of the town is no longer about FIRE (finance, insurance, real estate) but about the rise in the tech industry in New York City. All the press is covering it, from The New York Times and New York Observer, to bloggers and even international media.

While personally being new to this tech and media industry (just about as new as the Hive is!), it already appears to me that there is so much infrastructure out there to support this startup economy that is really taking off in the city.  There’s an event I want to participate in almost every night of the week (check out Gary’s Guide for a great listing of events), from tech demos to venture capitalist presentations to informal networking events –- its all there.  Meetup.com is such a tremendous resource for the tech industry, a great opportunity to learn new skills in your field and network with other technologist folks.

And in my brief time in this tech and media world, it’s amazing how many personal connections that I have already made.  I found it astounding that when I looked around the room at the Entrepreneurs Roundtable event (by the way, a terrific monthly event now in its second year) I went to this week that I knew a good ten people in the room. Not only do I know these people, but they are all tremendously supportive. Everyone has been so fantastic and welcoming –- introducing me to additional people I should meet or making connections for people to come check out the Hive.  There is such a great pool of talented interesting people here in New York that it’s no wonder there’s been so much buzz about the rise of Silicon Alley.

Everyday at the Hive I learn more about and from our members. The creative economy is definitely on the rise here, and it’s so fascinating hearing about startups, ventures, and new ideas.  I think the Hive is just one more to add to the list of tech startup resources in the city.  As we continue to grow I hope the Hive can become an even greater asset to the tech community –- and a resource to our members and the New York City community at large.

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Hive – Up In The Air edition

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

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You’ve heard me spout on about how joining the Hive as a member links you to a community of like-minded people.  But, the Hive does more than that; it offers you an international network.  Through the Coworking Visa program, members of one coworking space can work at another coworking space for free.  With approximately 100 participating coworking spaces worldwide, this means, when traveling you have an opportunity to check out a new space, meet some new people, and get down to work for free.

The Coworking Visa program really epitomizes what coworking is all about.  The five core values of coworking are collaboration, openness, community, accessibility, and sustainability.  The Coworking Visa program is remarkable because it’s self-governing.  No one oversees it, the site is maintained on the Wiki (http://wiki.coworking.info/CoworkingVisa) where each space can sign itself up and set its own restrictions for usage.  All spaces agree to offer three free days to each individual, and from there, each space can make its own arrangements.  People can look on the Wiki to find a space located in their visiting city and contact info to give the space a heads up about their visit.

Already at the Hive we’ve had several people utilize the Visa program.  In addition to the luxury of being able to travel and utilize other spaces, it’s also great to have out of town visitors come in and work for the day.  They shed light on their industry, city, and home coworking space.  Here at The Hive we’ve already had people come in from New Orleans and from across the pond.

So remember Hive members: traveling for work?  Need a place to get some work done between meetings?  Check out the Coworking Visa wiki page and learn where you can plug in and meet some cool people.

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Hive at 55: Meet a Member

Friday, March 12th, 2010

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I’m glad to say that each week the Hive at 55 gets more members, more visitors, and more people interested in our unique coworking space in Lower Manhattan. We currently have almost 50 members, including a few small businesses, and as you know lots of informative events every week.

But really, it’s all about our members. Many of them join for the community aspect because working from home can be quite isolating. So get used to seeing member profiles in our blog from time to time. From these, you’ll learn more about the folks that work here, and in turn learn more about what life is like at the Hive.

Today I chatted with Kelley Ferro, who works with Tripfilms and is there Marketing Manager / Travel Host / Head of Business Development.

Where are you from and where do you live now? I’m originally from Vermont and I now live on the Upper East Side.

What industry are you in? Online Video/New Media

Describe your occupation? I coordinate shooting assignments to increase video content on our Web site related to hot destinations and places where we need video — mainly by working with hotels, tourism boards, and filmmakers. I also host a weekly show about our best videos and shoot some location videos as well.

How long have you been working at the Hive? Since it opened in December!

Why do you work at the Hive? Tripfilms has moved around a lot and used to work at cafes.  And we all live in different neighborhoods, so the Hive makes sense for us.

What do you like about working at the Hive? Its comfortable, friendly, people have interesting stories, and it feels like we are part of a bigger company. Also we have a view of the water!

What days and hours have you generally been here? All day on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

How has your business or work style changed by working at the Hive? The use of the conference room and private rooms has been great.

How do you think your business will improve or grow from working at the Hive? It gives us a permanent place to work and meet with partners and filmmakers.

What’s your favorite thing about Lower Manhattan? I like the South Street Seaport, and I think there are cool undiscovered restaurants around here.

Where do you go to lunch when you’re at the Hive? Tripfilms always goes to Chipotle – it’s our company thing. I like Hale and Hearty, and we have special lunches on Stone Street sometimes.

Do you have a hidden talent? I make homemade ice cream. Maybe I’ll bring some in this summer.

Special Hobby? I love to travel, even simple weekend trips.

What’s your favorite band, TV show, or movie? I love the Travel Channel. I also like 30 Rock, and “epic” movies like Gladiator.

Is there someone in your industry who you admire? I love Giada De Laurentiis, a celebrity chef with several cooking and travel shows.

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Our First Fight…

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

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So, the Hive has now been open for three months.  I find it hard to believe time has flown by so quickly when it seems like just a few short weeks ago I was fretting over all the little details.  While I’ve used this blog to rave about how great the Hive has been, all the new members who have started to call the Hive home, and the great programming we’ve put together, I think its okay to rant a little too!

We had our first big glitch last week when we ran into some Internet problems.  It all started when I decided to replace our router.  We purchased a much nicer router, waited for the Hive to clear out in the evening and went about the big switch.  It was great…until about 4:30pm the next day.  The Internet went caput at the end of the day, which started a flurry of phone calls.  Going back and forth between Cogent and our networking guys, we finally determined that we had a lemon of a router.  Unfortunately, with the onslaught of the real snowpocalypse, I was unsure when we could resolve the issue.  I trekked in the next morning, not sure if or when our tech support would be able to show up with the foot-plus of snow that came down in the area.  Fortunately, the moment is behind us and not only have some important lessons been learned, but we came out ahead in the end: our bandwidth is about five times faster than it was before.

We are also reviewing some of the steps we can take to prevent any future Internet problems.  I know how important high speed connection is to the small businesses and freelancers who are working from the Hive.  I was rather embarrassed when it happened, but I must say thanks to our members for being so helpful and understanding.  Many people chipped in to help and totally understood that sometimes these things just happen.  I am doing my best to ensure that it never happens again.

I can’t resist sharing news here too.  We just formed a meetup.com page where you can learn about all the events and programming we’re going to have.  You can find us at the Lower Manhattan Coworking Club here.  Find fellow friends of the Hive and like minded people –- and stay in the loop with all Hive related happenings!

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Hive at 55 – Common Theme: Food?

Friday, February 26th, 2010

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Here at the Hive we are definitely getting a variety of members. We’ve seen start-up companies, the occasional journalist, a lot of freelancers, and some small business owners who need last-minute conference space. These types of members offer a lot when it comes to networking, collaborating, and sharing resources.

But this week the Hive has a new member who offers more than business relationships – a bakery! That’s right, the Creative Marketing Director for a small, wholesale bakery will be working out of the Hive from time to time. She made a grand entrance earlier this week by treating us all to two boxes of delicious chocolate chip cookies. The coworkers here at the Hive have been hovering next to the cookies, emanating joyful sounds that testify to the tastiness of the treats. Now the members of the Hive are eager to know when Baked Invention/Sweet Chemistry will be dropping off that next box of cookies, brownies, or other treats, as they grow their business in Lower Manhattan. Stay tuned — we’ll post more information as their business develops!

In other food news, our second Member Lunch on Monday featured a great spread by Harry’s Italian, including baked ziti, eggplant parmigiana, chicken francese, salad, and Italian bread. Hive Member Garry Golden presented a discussion on the Future of Work to an interested crowd which enjoyed a pleasant meal and stimulating conversation. A few non-members came to the Hive for the presentation and the lunch, so they caught a glimpse of our great work environment. We will be hosting the next lunch on Monday, March 22, so mark your calendars for another delicious meal.

To continue my food-centric post, I visited Ulysses’ Folk House on Stone Street for their Monday Lobster Night with a group of friends, and we were all impressed by the value and freshness of the crustaceans. And for those beer lovers out there, did you know Ulysses’ has a cask keg? Well they do, and I enjoyed a fine Otter Creek Ale. I was impressed by the general beer selection, and the knowledgeable barkeep correctly described the cask process to my friends!

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Happy Hours, Meetups, Mashups and More!

Friday, February 19th, 2010

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This was an exciting week at the Hive.  We hosted our first monthly happy hour on Tuesday, which felt like a great milestone.  It was nice to see lots of new faces, and hang out with some old friends too.  Especially inspiring were the two-for-one drinks! Thanks Harry’s!!

Crain’s New York Business ran a great piece on the Hive the other day and it featured two of our members, TripFilms and ReadHowYouWant.  These two companies have been with us since we opened, so it was great to have them included in the piece.  We’ve also added a number of new members in the past few weeks –- a few solo entrepreneurs plus a small company who will be working out of the Hive a few days a week.  It’s great to see the Hive grow with a continued diversity of represented industries.  Some of them are in early start-up stages while others have been successfully running their businesses for some time.  It’s such an interesting mix and there is something to be learned from everyone around us.

A few of our members have graciously offered to host workshops and presentations highlighting their work.  These will be for both existing members and those who are just interested in learning more, meeting cool people, or those who just want to check out the Hive in person.  On Monday we will have Hive member and Futurist Garry Golden start a conversation on the Future of Work.  It’s a topic I find especially interesting as people continue to turn to consulting and freelance work.  And if the conversation isn’t enticing enough, we will also have food for everyone attending!  I hope you will join us in this interesting talk.  You can RSVP here.

Another member, Thomas Stampfli, an expert in digital and social media marketing will be sharing his expertise in a workshop in March.  He’ll be offering great tips on how your business can utilize social media.  RSVP here. We hope all our members will at some point share what they are working on.

Finally, we have lots of meetups on the calendar; including a Web site boot camp, search engine optimization and search engine marketing, and a Python meetup.  You can take a look at our upcoming events by going to www.hiveat55.com/events or signing up for our bi-monthly newsletter at hiveat55.com.

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Bee Careful What You Wish For

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

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This is just my second blog post on the Downtown Diary and already I’m revealing my deepest, darkest secrets. I’m really into weather. I mean: forecast models, hurricane tracking, comparing the personalities of our local meteorologists (I met Janice Huff!), and of course, worshipping Jim Cantore. Last week there were lots of predictions of the impending “snowpocalypse” across the Eastern Seaboard, and perhaps because I like the snow I didn’t pay much attention to the details; I was convinced we were going to get walloped.

Because I’m here at the Hive at 55 every day, I’m getting to know our members quite well. And last Friday I sat by the door and wished everyone a happy, snowy weekend. “Are you taking your kids to Central Park to go sledding?” “I hope you like the snow, it’s gonna be a doozy!” “I don’t know if we are even going to be open on Monday!”

Boy did I miss that one. We all know how the weekend turned out: zero snow fell in Central Park and really no snow fell north of central New Jersey. But as I write this post, another storm is on the way. I’ve done my research and can make this promise: there will be snow on the ground when you read this! And of course now I don’t want a complete snowmageddon because Wednesday night is the Hive’s first Happy Hour at  Harry’s Café.There are more than 30 people who have signed up to go to this event and the Hive is so thrilled to know people want to come out and support us. Knock on wood –- but for what -– no blizzard? Brave Hivers? We’ll see.

The members of the Hive have made a commitment to work here and I don’t think foul weather will hold them back. But as I schedule more events and Meetups here at the Hive, every organizer seems to have a horror story thanks to Mother Nature. Hopefully fans of the Hive will emulate (the first half of) the Postman’s Creed, and come to some of our upcoming events that occur in the evening: NYC Hadoop’s Introduction to HBase on February 11, Website Bootcamp on February 18, Search Engine Optimization and Marketing on February 25, all beginning at 6:30pm at the Hive.

I’m glad to say that we’re getting into a routine here. Nearly every Thursday you can expect an informative Meetup, as well as monthly happy hours and free lunches for members. We are also working on more workshops organized by our members and friends of the Hive, so keep checking our event page to learn more about exciting programming options. And as much as I like the snow, let’s not have these weekly snow storms be part of the routine.

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