Early-stage small businesses looking for an inexpensive office and a community may soon find a home at Nexcore, a new co-working space located in the city’s Fox Park neighborhood.
The founders, Jim and Lauren Shelvy and Larry Cohn, are consultants and former small business owners who say they’re eager to share their expertise and experience with those who are just getting started.
Cohn, a graduate of Washington University with a degree in urban development, owned successful restaurants in the Phoenix area in the 1990s before relocating to St. Louis about 10 years ago. Jim Shelvy has a background in retail and business consulting, which he plans to offer as part of Nexcore’s membership package. Lauren Shelvy has an extensive background in sales.
People are also reading…
After a long process of renovation, the first portion of the new co-working center, located at 2631 Gravois Avenue, will open its doors to small businesses on Aug. 21. Nexcore is leasing the building from Rainier LLC, a real estate firm focused on restoring historic St. Louis properties.
In redeveloping the space, Nexcore’s founders said they wanted to convey a sense of community, which they say is the secret sauce in their business model. They invited local artists to decorate the space, sourced their coffee from a local vendor and turned to area businesses for some furnishings. Narrative Furniture, a Fox Park business that uses salvage and reclaimed wood in its products, custom-made a 14-foot walnut conference table for Nexcore.
Small businesses may buy monthly memberships ranging from $119 to $149. In addition to co-working space, members get access to coaching, workshops, financial consulting, personal development library and even a gym.
“We believe that in order to become a successful business owner you have to be successful in your body/mind spirit,” Cohn said.
This is why Nexcore partnered up with FYSIQ, Fitness and Performance.
FYSIQ’s owner Misha Gutzler says it is not just a gym but a “human performance center.” Cohn first saw Gutzler on KTVI (Channel 2), found her fitness concept interesting and drove to her gym and introduced himself.
Two months later, Gutzler found out she was losing her lease because of a building sale, so Cohn offered her space and a partnership.
“Our gym is not just about the body, it is also about the spirit and the mind,” Gutzler said. “This concept is similar to what Nexcore is trying to accomplish.”
Nexcore members, for an additional $100 a month, can rent a dedicated desk at the facility. A private office will cost $200.
Like most business owners, Cohn says he’s had ups and down in his career — and he believes that kind of experience can prove useful to Nexcore members. His goal, he says, is to “share some of the lessons that I learned.”
The concept of a co-working space is nothing new to St. Louis. Several of those spaces are spread out all over, from Nebula at the Cherokee District to TechArtista in the Central West End for independent creatives, to T-Rex downtown, aimed at tech startups.
But Nexcore believes they have their own niche to fill at Fox Park, aiming to attract product- and service-based businesses.
“We choose people who help us grow our community,” Jim Shelvy said. “Their success is our success.”