Worcester’s Running Start Raising Money For Expansion

Friday, August 02, 2013

Tessa Browne, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

Ryan leary and Breena Venkatesh's Running Start is gaining momentum as a co-working space.

In September of 2012, Ryan Leary and Brenna Venkatesh started Running Start, a non-profit co-working space for entrepreneurs and small business owners. Running Start provides an office space and office amenities to their members. They have discovered, with their recent success, that they are unable to host all their members in their beautiful colonial house.

Help them help you

Leary and Venkatesh are currently looking for donations through RocketHub in order to help move them into, and renovate, a reclaimed mill building in Gateway Park. They plan to add a café, lounge spaces, office spaces, and conference rooms in order to provide a more professional, yet comfortable environment for members and their clients.

“Our hope is that Running Start will become an ecosystem of innovation,” said Venkatesh, “We want to have people with diverse skills working in the space networking and learning from one another.” The new office will not only aid in providing an aesthetically pleasing working space, but also provide networking opportunities.

Adding incentive

In order to attract donations, Running Start has provided a range of prizes. For example, donations of $25 means that Running Start will thank you on their Facebook page and Twitter feed, and give you a limited edition sticker designed by Brendan Ciecko. A donation of $5,000 gives you every prize offered (your name on a conference room, a three month membership, VIP tickets to their grand opening) plus a seat on Running Start’s board.

Leary and Venkatesh have an understanding for the business potential in Worcester, and hope that by opening a co-working space, they will be able to facilitate this potential and help develop Worcester. “We know that co-working is needed and appreciated by Worcester's entrepreneurs,” said Venkatesh, “Every dollar counts!” Running Start also help entrepreneurs connect with mentors. Each entrepreneur is matched with an expert in their field, and receives help.

To donate to Running Start visit their website, here.