Launch Fishers helps start co-working space in Marion

Launch Fishers is consulting with Indiana Wesleyan University to open a similar co-working space this month in Marion.

The Refinery Business Center, located at 2301 S. Western Ave. on the south side of Marion, will have 6,000 square feet of co-working space for entrepreneurs, not-for-profits, small businesses, other professionals and students.

The facility will offer shared desks, conference rooms with video and audio capabilities, offices, Wi-Fi, patio seating, a cafe area with coffee and snacks, and a classroom for educational programming.

The Refinery is scheduled to open Sept. 24, according to a news release from the two groups. A second, smaller office is also planned for downtown Marion, but the exact location hasn’t been determined yet.

The bulk of the financial support for the center comes from a $170,000, three-year grant from the Community Foundation of Grant County.

An annual membership will cost $350 per year, including access to office amenities and meeting space from 6 a.m. to midnight seven days per week. For $50 per month, a member can reserve dedicated office space with a chair and large desk.

Members will also be able to print documents and receive and send mail at the Refinery.

The facility is similar in purpose to Launch Fishers, which got off the ground in late 2012 as a shared office space for the area's startup community.

John Wechsler, founder of Launch Fishers and adviser for the Refinery, said Marion is a good location for a new co-working office because of its position between Indianapolis and Fort Wayne. Indiana Wesleyan’s main campus is also located there.

The university will provide technical support for the center, facilitate educational programs, coordinate networking projects and offer paid internships through a Lilly Endowment grant.

“Indiana Wesleyan University is eager to support economic development in Indiana by encouraging our students to work within communities to provide world-changing life experiences,” Associate Dean of Life Calling and Career Carol Brown said in a written statement.

It will be included in the Indiana Co-Working Passport system, which allows members of participating facilities to receive one free day pass per month for other co-working offices throughout the state. Nearly 30 co-working centers are available through the system.

“The Refinery team is excited to work with residents, students and visitors, of all ages and trades and to provide extraordinary local and state resources for entrepreneurs to continue to start and grow businesses in central Indiana,” Shelby Bowen, vice president of development for Envoy Inc. and founding partner in the center said in a written statement.