Opening Spring of 2018, The Center for Social Innovation will be a community of nonprofits and social ventures that fuel innovation and acts as catalyst for change.
(AUSTIN, TEXAS – May 22, 2017; source: Juice Consulting) – Notley is proud to announce that tenant opportunities are now available for The Center for Social Innovation, a community of
nonprofits and social ventures clustered at Springdale General. Located 10 minutes from downtown at 1023 Springdale Rd. in East Austin along the Springdale Road corridor near Airport Boulevard, The Center will feature a 50,000-square- foot campus of office and meeting space and 10,000 square feet of co-working space, bringing together nonprofits, social enterprises and capital providers in the same physical space to foster collaboration, innovation and entrepreneurship.
“Our goal with this project is to provide open, flexible and affordable office space that encourages collaboration within Austin’s social impact community,” said Dan Graham, co-founder of Notley.
The Center is now accepting inquiries from tenants interested in working in the space with offerings ranging from a single desk to a stand-alone 10,000-square- foot building. Notley has partnered with Springdale General and architect Michael Hsu (the team that created Canopy). The Center for Social Innovation is designed to increase interactions among participants in Austin’s social innovation ecosystem. Nonprofits, social enterprises, city innovation leaders, and their neighbors will gather and collaborate in public spaces. Walkways, covered entries and a large courtyard connect the buildings on the campus. Tenants will have access to shared conference rooms, deeply discounted meeting space and monthly on-campus programming.
“The Center for Social Innovation is really the result of a community needs assessment. We talked to impact investors, nonprofits, social impact companies, board members, service providers and many others, and we kept hearing over and over that office space was a major pain point. Other common refrains included the lack of affordable meeting space, and a concern that there were too few opportunities for collaboration. We realized that we could solve each of these challenges by creating The Center for Social Innovation” said Matt McDonnell, Partner at Notley. “Hopefully this is a model that can be replicated in other markets,” he added.
“I really think that in 10 years what we’ll have is an entrepreneurial area, or district, that’s centered in East Austin as a hub for socially-minded businesses in every stage of development,” said Graham. “I really believe that with its booming tech industry, growing population and the giving nature of its residents, Austin is a well-positioned city to leverage its capital, wealth of nonprofits and the entrepreneurial nature of the city to become a global leader in the field of social innovation.”
Springdale General is being developed by Central Austin Management Group. In addition to The Center for Social Innovation, one of the other first tenants for the property is Caffe Medici, who will be moving its Austin roasting operations to the location. There will be several other restaurants (including a potential bar), bike racks, Car2Go parking and ample outdoor gathering space at the property. Other nearby amenities include restaurants, Friends and Allies Brewery, Austin Bouldering Project and quick access to East 6th and Town Lake.
“The mission of Springdale General is to provide affordable, flexible space for our creative and nonprofit communities and the Center for Social Innovation and Caffe Medici are the perfect tenants
to attract other like-minded businesses in the community,” said Daryl Kunik, Founder, Central Austin Management Group. A hard hat tour for interested tenants of Springdale General will take place Wednesday, June 7 from 8:30-9:30 a.m. For inquiries on the tour, or for leasing information about The Center for Social Innovation, please contact hello@socialinnovationaustin.org. For more information on The Center, please see www.socialinnovationaustin.org. For more information on Springdale General, please see: www.springdalegeneral.com.
About Notley:
Notley’s mission is to fund and support businesses, nonprofits, and programs making positive systemic change and social impact in the world. Notley was founded in 2015 by Dan Graham,
founder of BuildASign.com, and his wife, Lisa as a way to leverage their own business and investing success. Under the leadership of Matt McDonnell, Notley partners with seed and early stage
companies and nonprofits ready to scale. For more information, please see www.notleyventures.com.
About Dan Graham:
Dan Graham co-founded BuildASign.com in 2005 and transitioned from Chief Executive Officer to Executive Chairman in early 2017. Dan also co-founded Notley in 2015 with his wife, Lisa. He is a recipient of various awards including Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2013 Central Texas Award, Austin Business Journal’s 2012 Best CEO Award, and Austin Under 40 Austinite of the Year. Dan was also named a winner in the Business and Entrepreneurship category in 2012. As a native Austinite, Dan personally gives back to the Austin community through participation on the Board of Directors for numerous philanthropic organizations including Austin Community Foundation, Glasshouse Policy and Mission Capital among others. He also acts as a mentor to aspiring young entrepreneurs working with Capital Factory and SKU. Dan is a member of esteemed local and national organizations including University of Texas at Austin’s College of Natural Sciences Advisory
Council, Young President’s Organization, Startup Games (Board Member), The Texas Lyceum, Entrepreneurs’ Organization and the 2016 Class of Henry Crown Fellows and the Aspen Global
Leadership Network at the Aspen Institute. Dan earned undergraduate degrees in computer science and philosophy from The University of Texas at Austin (2003), and a J.D. from The University of Texas at Austin School of Law (2005). As the father of three incredible daughters, Dan spends his free time with them and his wife. Dan is an avid reader and enjoys practicing yoga a few times per week.
About Central Austin Management Group:
Central Austin Management Group is a full-service developer and property manager for a growing number of real estate projects designed with local businesses and creatives in mind. They believe in adaptive re-use when possible, great design always and the need to create projects that enhance surroundings. Some notable developments include: Canopy, a former Goodwill warehouse transformed into a complex of artist studios, galleries, creative offices and retail shops on the East Side; Mercury Hall, a beloved wedding and event venue tucked away in a park-like setting in central South Austin; and 5540 North Lamar, a State Troopers clubhouse (indoor pool, racquetball and all) re-imagined as an event and co-working space in collaboration with a local industry leader, Vuka Collective. For more information, please see www.causmg.com.
MEDIA NOTE:
*For general press inquiries about The Center for Social Innovation, interview requests or media
tours, please contact the team at Juice Consulting:
Heather Wagner Reed
713 208 3891
heather@juiceconsulting.com
Madison Snelling
210 213 8934
madison@juiceconsulting.com