Greetings for 2017

It’s a new year and I’m very excited about all that 2017 holds. Off the back of what seems to have been a disastrous year for many of us, I’m thrilled to be able to turn the page, take a breath and explore everything that’s coming for us this year.

Within the Inspire9 community, there’s a new year buzz. It could be the lingering aftermath of the Inspire9 Xmas party, but there’s also something else at play. 2017 is the best it’s ever been for entrepreneurs and startups in Melbourne. Here are few reasons why;

1. Our community is bigger than ever, with more activated entrepreneurs than ever before.
2. The Inspire9 Dream Factory community is in its infancy and we’re engaging with local organisations such as 100 Story Building, She Will Shine, and the Western Bulldogs.
3. Also at Inspire9 Dream Factory is our VR lab where we’ve partnered with Snobal to put together a start-of-the-art VR development experience to enable the Melbourne VR community.
4. Our Fab9 Makerspace will enable a whole new community of makers, designers, prototypers and builders in Melbourne west equipping them with 3d printers, laser cutters, CNC, textiles, wood and metal shops.
5. LaunchVic are continuing to support startup ecosystem infrastructure to invest in the Melbourne startups of tomorrow.

Here at Inspire9, I’m excited to announce 2 big changes in our team. Firstly, Josh Lipscombe will be our new GM in Richmond. Josh has been a key part of the team for 2 years now, heading up events and communications. Moving forward, Josh will continue our work developing the coworking community ecosystem.

Secondly, I’d like to welcome Conrad Tracey to the team who will be the GM of Inspire9 Dream Factory in Footscray. Having built up and sold Prahran coworking space Revolver Creative, Conrad is now taking his community building experience and nurturing growth at Inspire9’s newest location. Conrad will also be working with our Inspire9 ecosystem partners to provide more value to our residents and the greater Melbourne community.

In the next month, we’ll be sending a team off to Coworking Unconference Asia to run a series of workshops, Brad Feld and David Cohen from Techstars will join us for a fireside chat and much of our community will be soaking up some innovation inspiration at PauseFest.

There’s never been a better time to join our community here in Melbourne. If you‘re considering becoming a member, come in and meet our community team. I look forward to seeing you in Richmond or Footscray some time soon.