The i-Hamptons team has launched “The Spur,” the first private co-working space and innovation lab for East End entrepreneurs. The Spur will provide a more invigorating and productive work environment than a typical home office. There will be a VIP event on Saturday, January 6 and the space will be officially open on Monday, January 8 as a pop-up experience in partnership with Southampton Social Club. Over the next few months, The Spur will be working on renovating a building in Southampton Village that will become the official space for summer 2018.
The Spur aims to combine the approaches of the popular WeWork and Soho House, focusing on bringing together entrepreneurs centered on media and tech, health and wellness, and food and beverage retail. The hope is to help industries flourish year-round on the East End and help reduce seasonal highs and lows. Despite the tendency for the Hamptons to go into hibernation mode during the winter months, The Spur is opening up to demonstrate the strength and resilience that a year-round innovation economy can provide.
“As an entrepreneur running several innovation-led businesses on the East End, I have met a number of likeminded peers who are all working on their businesses from home. Developing a next-generation workspace is a critical platform for our continued success,” said Spur and i-hamptons founder, Ashley John Heather. “We have already signed-up dozens of Founding Members who are excited to join The Spur in January when we open.”
Members of The Spur have the opportunity to choose dedicated desks or flexible work areas in the club. There will be an advisory council who will mentor members in building their businesses, which include East End entrepreneurs like Kathleen King, founder of Tate’s Bake Shop, David Bonnett, founder of Geocities, Bruce Bockmann, former Chairman of Techspace, and Porter Bibb, founder of Mediatech Capital Partners.
 |
|
The Spur team will be working diligently over the next few months to bring new spaces around the Hamptons. (Photo: Ashley John Heather Founder, The Spur) |
“I’m a full-time Southampton resident with an amazing network of friends, but few from similar backgrounds career-wise. Having a facility where there’s a focus on innovation and collaboration can help inform my perspective on technology, which is a huge part of my job,” said Dave Nugent, partner at Omnigon Communications.
The Spur will also cater to the Hamptons weekenders who use their second homes all year round. It will offer a unique weekend “innovation” program for kids, designed for pre-teen kids. Parents can drop off their children for a STEM inspired educational program that will cover the latest innovation tools such as 3D printing, Augmented Reality, Robotics, App development, and much more. The program will be led by Gregory Wilson, Ph.D, Director of The Ross School’s Innovation Lab.
Members can expect complimentary breakfast refreshments from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. by premium local brands including Hampton Coffee Company and Plain-T. Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a menu focused on local, fresh, and healthy cuisine. The bar will open at 4 p.m. and be focused on serving local beer, wine, and seasonally infused spirits. Programming, events, and presentations will commence daily at 5 p.m. where experts share best practice in all areas of innovation. New furnishing for The Spur have been provided by Iconic Modern, Sisal Rugs Wholesale, and California Closets.
The first location will be in Southampton Village and opens in January 2018, but other locations will be quickly created across the East End including Westhampton, East Hampton, and Greenport. The goal is to have a Spur location no more than ten minutes from every entrepreneur in the Hamptons. The Spur offers both an office space and mentorship support, business concierge services, regular programming covering digital innovation, and all topics critical for entrepreneurs.
The Spur is located at 256 Elm Street in Southampton. For more information, visit www.thespur.com.
