LOGAN SQUARE — A co-working space that its owners promise will embody the look and feel of the neighborhood is opening on Diversey Avenue soon.
Nicole Vasquez, who runs co-working space The Shift in Uptown, has teamed with up entrepreneur and communications professional Levi Baer to open a second location at 3432 W. Diversey Ave., on the second floor.
Second Shift, which is set to open in the middle of February, will be unique to Logan Square, Vasquez said.
"It's going to live and breathe Logan Square. It's not a cookie-cutter," she said. "It's not going to look anything like the Uptown location. Logan Square has such a great community of freelancers and creatives working on their side hustle."
The primary goal of the co-working space is to offer work-from-home professionals a more traditional place to work. Like the Uptown location, price packages start at $145 per month for open work space and $325 per month for a dedicated desk. But more affordable packages and scholarship opportunities are in the works.
Equally, if not more important to Vasquez is sparking collaboration. Folks will be able to rent Second Shift for community events and meet-ups and use the space as a way to find like-minded people and start collaborative projects.
"It's part of our business model to promote and support our members in whatever way we can and create a thriving professional community, to get people connected to each other and get them new freelance opportunities," she said.
Second Shift is taking over the second floor of 3432 W. Diversey Ave. [Courtesy/Nicole Vasquez]
Vasquez and Baer recently launched an online crowd funding campaign — not to raise money to open the business, but to attract new members and offer discounts.
As of Monday afternoon, the campaign had raised $3,747, which will be used on business operation costs like the opening party, Vasquez said.
Vasquez, an Uptown resident, opened The Shift in 2014. Today, the co-working space has more than 50 members. Vasquez credits Baer for bringing the concept to Logan Square.
Baer has lived in Logan Square for about a decade. He founded the entrepreneurial community group Coffee & Conversation and teaches entrepreneurship strategy at DePaul.
"We're just the same person when it comes to valuing collaboration and seeing how important it is to bring different people together," Vasquez said.
"Levi is going to identify the demand of the community. I think that's the most exciting part is we can really meet the needs of Logan Square."
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