EPB partners with Society of Work, a membership-based shared workspace, to drive innovation and partnership between EPB staff and the thriving startup and freelance community.
“This agreement reflects our commitment to supporting job creation which includes a specific focus on entrepreneurship,” said Hodgen Mainda, EPB’s vice president of community development.
“We believe the give and take between EPB employees and the entrepreneurs at Society of Work will spark new ideas, opportunities and connections that will benefit our efforts and theirs.”
Society of Work, Chattanooga’s original coworking space, is now located on the sixth and seventh floors of The Edney Innovation Center where participants have access to shared desks, meeting rooms, a kitchen and invitations to events and networking. Through the partnership, about 25 members of EPB’s marketing and technical teams will have the opportunity to utilize the coworking space a couple times a month when getting off-site will benefit their work.
“EPB is setting a precedent for how other corporations in Chattanooga can more directly engage in the small business and entrepreneur community,” said Society of Work founder, Kelly Fitzgerald. “It’s especially rewarding to have EPB as a corporate partner because the Gig Internet service is an amazing asset that draws both freelancers and small businesses to Society of Work. Our members could often work from anywhere, but they choose Chattanooga, in part because of the Gig,” she said.