New Coworking Space, projectY, Opens in Los Alamos

The 2,400-square foot facility hopes to connect entrepreneurs, startups, freelancers and others and further develop economic activity in ‘the secret city’.

Feature image courtesy of  Samantha D’Anna Photography

 projectY cowork Los Alamos opened on Wed., June 8 with a 10 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony and 5:30 p.m. celebration in conjunction with the Los Alamos Entrepreneurs’ Network.  Both events were free and open to the public. The new collaborative coworking space, located in Central Park Square in Los Alamos, NM, serves as a hub for startups, freelancers and others to be connected to like-mind entrepreneurs, business experts, investors and mentors who will help them achieve their personal and professional goals. It is a collaborative effort between Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corporation (LACDC), Los Alamos County, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Feynman Center for Innovation and Community Relations and Partnerships Office, and Central Park Square owner Philip Kunsberg.

“projectY will fill a critical gap for coworking space options for young professionals, entrepreneurs and home business owners looking to expand their presence in Los Alamos,” said Harry Burgess, County Manager. “This kind of need has been consistently identified in economic development surveys for small startup businesses in the past, and so it is exciting to see projectY open its doors to those opportunities on June 8. We are pleased to have this kind of resource located in the heart of downtown Los Alamos, and we wish them every success.”

According to LACDC Executive Director Patrick Sullivan, the new coworking space promotes sustainable economic progress by encouraging regional entrepreneurship.

“We view projectY as an investment in our entrepreneurial community, as it’s a joint effort with partners who aim to better connect individuals and companies not only with each other, but with the resources they need to better serve their own business, the local community, and the region,” said Sullivan. “Individuals and teams can have the flexibility they need with office space, while working alongside a supportive, idea-driven community of other entrepreneurs.”

Coworking is now considered a global movement that many say is the future of the work environment, with DeskMag reporting that the most rapid growth is seen across regions in Asia. In New Mexico, Albuquerque has established a coworking alliance and Santa Fe also maintains a cohort of smaller coworking spaces and executive suites for business. Experts have said that coworking environments offer individuals increased innovation, happiness and productivity when compared to the more siloed experiences of working from home or in a coffee shop.

“projectY is intended to serve as a place for the business community to gather, share ideas, seek guidance, make important connections and have fun,” said Lauren McDaniel, director of projectY. “We’re in the middle of the creative district in Los Alamos, near restaurants, Bathtub Row Brewing Co-op and UnQuarked Wine Room, and we hope to bring people together in a constructive, collaborative and meaningful way.”

Micheline Devaurs, LANL’s Feynman Center for Innovation Program Manager for Market Transition, helped lead the effort to start a coworking space in Los Alamos.  In 2015, Devaurs was also at the forefront of starting Los Alamos’ first co-op brewery, Bathtub Row Brewing Co-op, and she sees a similar model working well for projectY.

“The magic of coworking is to foster an opportunity-rich community with programming and events that help educate entrepreneurs,” said Devaurs. “I’m passionate about providing a location for the entrepreneurial community to connect with those like-minded individuals at LANL, and to see what new ideas or initiatives are sparked.”

“projectY,” once the code name for Los Alamos National Laboratory, pays homage to the Manhattan Project-era with its décor; some of the furniture and decorations were donated by the former “Manhattan” TV show production that filmed in Santa Fe for two seasons. The 2,400 square-foot open floor plan of projectY accommodates desks, a kitchen, private phone rooms, lounge areas and a conference room, and is intended to foster a dynamic, collaborative work environment that harnesses the collective energy of those working and sharing ideas in the space.

Flexible pricing options range from non-member $10/day passes, to monthly occasional-use memberships that include 5-day and 14-day options, as well as a special “founding member” rate of $149/month for new full-time members who sign up before July 1.Custom packages are also available for corporate events and meetings. The projectY cowork Los Alamos memberships include free admission to all programming and events, WiFi and utilities, basic office supplies and printing, as well as coffee, tea and snacks. The space is also BYOB-friendly.

About projectY cowork Los Alamos

projectY cowork Los Alamos, a collaborative coworking space located at 150 Central Park Square in Los Alamos, New Mexico, is an initiative between Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corporation, Los Alamos County, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Feynman Center for Innovation and Community Relations and Partnerships Office, and Central Park Square owner Philip Kunsberg. It serves as a hub for startups, freelancers and others to be connected to like-mind entrepreneurs, business experts, investors and mentors who will help them achieve their personal and professional goals. For more information, visit www.projectylosalamos.com.