When technology hubs are spoken about, Silicon Valley immediately comes to mind. But Austin, Texas, has become one of the preeminent places for fostering innovation. By launching Urban Co-Lab, a 3,000-square-foot co-working space in East Austin, Natalie Cofield aspires to incubate companies that create sustainable, scalable solutions for education, housing, transportation and other areas of importance to urban communities locally and nationally.
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“By leveraging some of the brightest and most diverse minds in Austin and from throughout the nation, we plan to create disruptive advancements for global communities and the local economy,†says Cofield, 33, the project’s creator who partnered with a number of individuals and organizations to bring Urban Co-Lab to life, including Mission Possible Austin, a faith-based community improvement group; Kerry O’Conner, the chief innovation officer for the City of Austin; Navarrow Wright, founder of the Close the Divide Project; and Jason Towns, director of Code2040 Residency.
BlackEnterprise.com sought Cofield out to learn more about her motivations for the project and why she thinks investors should donate to its Indiegogo campaign.
What is the Urban Co-Lab?
Urban Co-Lab is a co-working space for urban entrepreneurs who have the ability to change our community and the world. We will house startup companies and individuals who work within the technology space. We will provide office space, programming, event space, access to networks, access to markets, and engagement with the community. We also have an extensive advisory board of directors who have agreed to mentor and engage with companies in our community. Our organization will also host entrepreneur-in-residence office hours and other supportive programming to help educate and engage our community. Lastly, we are looking to partner with national or local accelerators and organizations in the area that have a focus on social entrepreneurship.
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Why is the project important for the tech community and the city of Austin?
Austin is a tale of two cities. We are one of the best cities to live in and one of the most economically segregated cities in the U.S. If we can harness the innovative minds that exist here to hack urban issues, the solutions have the potential to change the world.
Why is this endeavor a priority for you?
I believe that entrepreneurs have the power to change the fabric of an entire community by creating jobs, igniting inspiration, and nurturing economic advancement. Urban Co-Lab is located in the heart of a changing urban community that can benefit greatly from the innovations that are made within.
Who will benefit the most from the Urban Co-Lab?
Urban Co-Lab will focus its efforts on ensuring that we build great community. While we will not place precedence on race, we do envision the space to be one of the most diverse co-working communities in Austin. We understand that diversity plays a major role in that, especially because most urban areas have large populations of multicultural communities. We also have a wonderful partnership with Huston-Tillotson [University], a local HBCU that will connect up to four students with internships at startups who lease our dedicated office space. Students will receive academic credit for their involvement.