A co-working nonprofit organization in downtown Shreveport has received a $50,000 grant to help it relocate and become a permanent option for small business owners who wish to work in a shared space. CoHabitat Foundation executive director John Grindley said his lease is up in March 2013. He’s working to close a deal with the city to move CoHab and its 50 member businesses into a defunct restaurant in the Red River District.
“We need to work somewhere downtown that doesn’t force us to raise our member rates,” Grindley said. “We’re looking for a permanent home now.”
CoHab was formed in 2010. It’s become a hub for Web developers, programmers, and consultants. Grindley said typically more than 100 people work from CoHab each day.
"Starbucks and the coffee shops get it right, but you can't touch someone and ask for help,” Grindley said. “That's what you can do in this type of environment.”
The grant from the Carolyn W. and Charles T. Beaird Family Foundation will help the nonprofit renovate the new building that is expected to serve as the new headquarters for independent workers and upstart companies in Shreveport.