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The events (and people!) the whole office is buzzing about
EJ loves Gravitate because his previous office was expensive, lonely and uninviting. He states, “Gravitate is the kind of place that gives your the opportunity to share a work space with other professionals, providing an excellent networking and supportive environment. Plus, you can't beat the price!”
Where has the month gone? There are less than 2 months until fall! On this week's #Gravi-Member Spotlight Gravitate is featuring a different type of Gravitater! Ashley Miller is a punch-card member, meaning that she purchases a card for $100 that allows her to stop into our space 10 times. The punch-card is for those that don't need a space to work every day, but instead maybe once a week, or a few times a month. The cards never expire and are a great stepping stone to the world of coworking! Ashley is a spunky face around our Valley Junction space in West Des Moines and we are excited to share a bit about her with you!
Happy second week of July! Wow, time sure does fly! For this week's #Gravi-Member Spotlight Gravitate would like to feature their first Community Intern, Ella Vasquez. Ella is a Twin Cities native who came to Des Moines in 2014 to attend college at Drake University. It was also Ella's 22nd birthday on Wednesday, so HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY ELLA!
Happy belated 4th of July everyone! I hope your day was spent getting lit with fireworks and plenty of adult beverages! For this week's #Gravi-Member Spotlight we are featuring Edgar Ortiz, a Local Veteran's Employment Representative for Iowa Workforce Development. Being a veteran himself, Edgar finds joy in helping those that need employment find a second chance. Edgar also helps companies understand how to hire and work with veterans, as well as those who made mistakes in their life, but are still viable employees. Thank you for your past service and present fight to help make the world a better place Edgar!
Edgar was born and raised in Puerto Rico, but according to him was pulled up to Iowa by his wife. Edgar claims he still hates the cold to which my response was, "who doesn't!?"
Our office space, vibes, cool plants and bright windows aren't always the reason our members enjoy working here. In fact, this is a circumstance where our community provided the value! Edgar enjoys his time at Gravitate because of two in particular gravi-members, Kyle and Dan. "SEO Experts are the best!! Kyle and Dan. Their drive, their commitment and how they want to help have a better community is what I love. I want to work around people like them."
Edgar dreams to one day be full-time at Gravitate accompanied by his staffing agency to help local companies fulfill their talent acquisition needs. Let's make that dream happen!
Here are a few answers to some of the fun questions we asked Edgar!
The nerdiest thing Edgar does in his spare time is quote Sheldon Cooper.
His favorite place in Des Moines is Downtown!
Edgar's go-to drink during happy hour is Jameson and Coke- we have a whiskey man on our hands!
His guilty pleasure is chocolate, making a great segue way into the question, "what is your go-to midnight snack?" In which he responded M&M's! Yum!
To continue the pattern of go-to's, Edgar's go-to karaoke song is Living on a Prayer by Journey. Solid choice!
The best concert he has ever attended was Van Halen! He didn't get to meet Eddy, but it was still an experience he will never forget!
When asked who Edgar would like to swap places with for a day he responded with Kyle Steele. Kyle works for SEO Experts and has a huge heart and tons passion for what he believes in. Kyle is someone Edgar definitely admires and enjoys working around.
Edgar's advice to any young professional or entrepreneur is this. "Get a mentor. Don't do it alone. This thing is frickin' hard, but don't quit!!"
As a shameless plug, if you have a need for great talent call Edgar at 515-442-4554!
As always, thanks for reading this week's #Gravi-Member Spotlight! I hope those 4th of July festivities spill over into the weekend! Stay safe and have fun! #graviout
Happy Thursday friends and fans! It's THAT day of the week, time for a new #Gravi-Member Spotlight! Gravitate is excited to introduce Terrence Thames, owner and creative director at Cocoa Creative Agency. Terrence has tons of experience with videography, production and creative services, making him one of our go-to members for creative advice!
Terrence moved to Iowa from the south side of Chicago when he was 9 years old. His mother decided that in order for her son to prosper she would send him to live with his 18 year old cousin in Iowa who would then raise him until he went off to college at Kirkwood Community College. Terrence claims that decision made by his mother and cousin completely changed the trajectory of his life and for that he is extremely thankful.
Terrence is happily married to a supermodel where they both work to raise their three children ages 7, 8, and 9.
During Terrence's free time he enjoys listening to gospel rap and playing the drums, a secret talent of his. His Dungeon and Dragon's name is Thamus Maximus and unlike many of our members Terrence is not a huge drinker, so his go-to drink during happy hour would have to be ginger ale!
Terrence has a team of interns working alongside him this summer who are "rocking it." Everything that Terrence does is done with purpose and passion, something Gravitate members have the ability to see every day.
Aside from his work, Terrence finds passion in minority entrepreneurship, supplier diversity, and economic opportunities for marginalized communities. He also finds the ideas behind wealth building and economic mobility extremely fascinating and hopes to play a larger role in the growth of those ideas someday.
Terrence came to Gravitate for the flexibility and affordability of the space, but has stayed for 3 years due to the community. When asked which Gravi-Member Terrence would like to switch places with for a day, he responded with Geoff Wood. You have already been introduced to our infamous space captain, so it isn't a surprise that was his answer. In Terrence's words: "Geoff Wood - A very smart person, but I would love to learn about all of decisions that go into running his businesses. I am also planning to start my own incubator one day, so I would like to get a "day in the life of" experience in doing something similar."
As we wrap up this #Gravi-Member Spotlight I will leave you with a piece of entrepreneurial advice from Terrence.
"Don't let anyone or anything limit what you want to do or how you want to grow your business. Cocoa's experience in growth also includes growing outside of what Des Moines (and Iowa) has to offer. Contrary to popular opinion, Iowa is NOT the best place for entrepreneurs, especially if you are a women entrepreneur or a minority entrepreneur. Statistically Iowa is actually the state worst in the nation for minority entrepreneurs and this is not changing anytime soon. Be the best at what you do, be authentic and be smart about how you go about growing."
See you next week! Stay cool and dry! #Graviout
Last month, Gravitate was presented with a special opportunity to sponsor three families in need, and provide them with a Christmas they will never forget. We partnered with Kari Brooks and her husband Derek, one of our members, to find three families through the Des Moines Schools and to determine each family member's wish list! Gravitate members purchased gifts for the families from an Amazon wishlist or donated money for the organizers to purchase gifts on their behalf. The generosity was overwhelming.
