A new Columbia organization is appealing to the creativity of students and citizens alike to form a community of new innovators.
According to its website, The League of Innovators is a creative club dedicated to inspiring and enabling innovation.
Senior Kelsey Meyer said the group carries out a three-fold program — including collaborative workspaces, advice from community professionals and networking events — with the ultimate goal of creating an innovation hub in Columbia.
The group is headquartered in the 16,000 square foot Museao Building located at 3500 Buttonwood Drive. The building offers a variety of collaborative work environments ranging from traditional style offices to sofa lounges and even a playroom.
“It’s really a creative workspace that’s open to anyone,” Meyer said. “You can be a student, a freelance worker, a web designer or a lawyer. It’s really open to anyone who would like to join.”
Meyer is the “director of awesomeness” for the organization, which is the brainchild of Brent Beshore, cofounder and CEO of Pure Marketing and Media, a company sharing the building with the league.
Beshore said in an email that he started the group when the opportunity for a building arose because he wanted to create an environment focused on creativity and innovation.
“We are focused on two distinct, yet complimentary audiences,” Beshore said. “One is start-ups. Start-ups need space, advice, influence, as well as shared resources to grow the business. We aim to help those start-ups. The other target is business people looking for a place to relax, learn and get away from the hustle and bustle of their offices.”
Members can join the club by paying a membership fee. Each member is then free to attend any socials and use any of the building’s workspace whenever they want.
“It’s like a country club for entrepreneurs,” Meyer said. “They pay a membership fee, and then they get to come and use all the resources and amenities and all the networking like they would, except instead of golf and tennis, they have different work environments and events they can attend.”
To increase awareness, the league is offering three scholarships: one for undergraduates, one for graduate students and one for residents at large. Scholarship recipients will receive a free membership to the group in exchange for working five hours per week. The scholarship will last for three months, at which point new recipients will be selected.
Meyer said 50 members signed up before the club’s introductory event Tuesday. The Innovation Bash on Tuesday included a Skype interview with Brad Feld, who has been an entrepreneur and investor for more than 20 years. Feld spent an hour answering questions from the 80 people in attendance, which Meyer said was a great turnout.
“My favorite part of the entire event was watching people interact who I knew didn’t know each other before that night,” Meyer said. “Just seeing those relationships form, that’s really what we want to happen.”
Most current members are Columbia residents, although there are a few student members. Meyer said the club mostly appeals to students involved with entrepreneurship on campus.
“We hope to provide an environment that sparks individual innovation and creativity, as well as meaningful partnerships and relationships,” Beshore said. “In the end, we hope that the building and the League of Innovators becomes an entrepreneurial and creative hub for the community.”