Washington D.C.-based coworking space H Street Greenhouse is offering a unique model for midlife entrepreneurs.
The space offers an alternative to the overly masculine, youthful coworking spaces that rule the industry.
Additionally, the operator offers The Experience Lab at H Street Greenhouse, which is an educational component that serves as an incubator and hosts speakers’ series, workshops and more. It was launched just last year by Gail Montplaisir, CEO of the Taurus Development Group, who wanted to be able to cater to an older audience.
Currently, Greenhouse hosts mostly entrepreneurs over the age of 45 who want the same benefits of affordable and collaborative coworking, with a more formal twist.
“One of the ways to achieve our dreams is to collaborate with people who are like-minded and may have more bandwidth for particular areas where we need expert insight — say marketing or legal questions,” said Montplaisir.
Next year, the 2,000 square foot Greenhouse space plans to expand to 11,000 square feet that would be able to accommodate up to 200 members. The expansion will include private phone booths, whiteboard enclaves, smart TVs, an event space and an outdoor courtyard.
Currently, there are talks to opening concepts that are similar to Greenhouse in surrounding areas, but Montplaisir said it is vital for this current location to continue to perform strongly before expanding their footprint.
