The Collaboratory of Virginia provides low-cost shared office space to local nonprofits.
The Collaboratory of Virginia offers area nonprofits a chance to grow, with access to virtual seminars, shared amenities, mentorship and more.
Founded by U-Turn Sports Performance Academy President Adrienne Wright and S.L. Nusbaum Realty Vice President Andrew Pegalis, the Henrico coworking space has exclusively served nonprofit organizations since its launch in December 2019. One year later, Wright says they’ve enrolled more than 50 members, helping local groups to work alongside peers and access shared resources such as IT support to keep overhead costs low. Members include the Richmond Autism Integration Network (RAIN), James River Writers and Nest Academy RVA.
Because the Collaboratory occupies a 38,000-square-foot office space on the second floor of Wright’s U-Turn Sports complex at 2101 Maywill St., she says they’ve also been able to charge a comparatively low rents for members who opt to work out of its offices. The space is still under construction and won’t be fully completed until at least mid-2021. The project represents a $3.8 million investment, Wright says.
Although 11 members currently use the Collaboratory’s socially distanced offices, Wright says the ongoing pandemic forced the coworking space to rethink its programming by moving member events online just months after its launch. “The pandemic hit, and we realized that there was more need for that peer-to-peer development and for that community to really lean on each other, depend on each other and share resources,” she says.
The Collaboratory now offers a virtual accelerator program called Thrive, a series of eight-week workshops that help nonprofits navigate topics including racial equity, inclusion and adjusting their missions to the coronavirus.
Heading into the new year, Wright plans to roll out additional resources for Collaboratory members, including shared legal, marketing, HR and accounting services, and she plans to enroll consultants to help with processes such as selecting board members and grant writing.
