Elevator Up Turns 15!
Did you hear? Elevator Up turned 15 today! To help celebrate this milestone we wanted to share a little about where we came from and where we are going.
Our Ventures
You may know Elevator Up as just a digital agency, but we’ve also launched several ventures in our 15-year history, including The Factory, coLearning, and Alignment Mapping.
The Factory
As part of our effort to be more entangled in West Michigan, we created The Factory, a coworking space that has thrived for 10 years in Grand Rapids. We answered the question, how can we be a little less lonely in our work? What emerged is a community that has been home for over 500 coworkers! Though EU has since moved into our own suite, we are still proud of our connection to this community that supports and cares for one another and the work.
coLearning
coLearning was born out of curiosity: if we benefit from working together why not learn together? So we created a state-recognized school! coLearning brought small groups of peers together to learn skills in technology, design, and entrepreneurship through mentoring and programs. We taught dozens of classes and graduated hundreds of students over 5 years.
Alignment Mapping
This past year we launched one of our newest ventures, Alignment Mapping. Our “Alignment Mapping Book Series” is a new idea that the team built and designed focusing on how people can simplify complex situations in pocket-sized versions of design thinking mapping techniques. Often these take up large walls in the office but we wanted a way to also create these quickly or on the go.
Internally these little books have been helpful in a variety of ways. We’ve used them during meetings or sketching ideas over lunch to using them solo in a park for a change of scenery.
We sought out feedback from industry experts in the West Michigan region and plan to make a few tweaks before printing our first batch.
Clients
After 15 years, how do you choose just one client to highlight? It’s a tough order, so we’ve pulled together a classic throwback and a recent project we loved.
Team
Over the years we’ve had amazing developers, product managers, and designers work with us. We’ve built countless projects together, partnering with folks from all around the world! Though the faces around the office have changed, our team continues to create beautiful things in the world.
Thank you all for taking the time to learn a little bit about Elevator Up as we celebrate this milestone. We look forward to continuing to grow and learn for many years to come.
Cheers!
EU Team
