Talent Garden is an Italian coworking network–locations in Milan, Genoa, Turin and 4 other cities– that has plans to open up a NYC branch in lower Manhattan. Their goals are ambitious, and they seem to have in mind the Eataly of coworking-incubators spaces. In addition to 100 desks and classrooms for its Digital Academy, they’ll be offering Italian delicacies–who knows, maybe the best cacio e pepe of any coworking space?–as well as great espressos. And they will even have their own hotel, to allow Italian Talent Gardeners–entrepreneurs, small businesses–a place to stay as they try to tap into the US markets.
My head is spinning with all the pivot possibilities that are lurking here. Anyway, the more interesting thing is they are financing their expansion partially through an indiegogo campaign, in which they hop to raise $55,000. For $450, you have the chance to stake a claim on a desk for a month. Or you can plunk down $10 to show support and claim an espresso when Talent Garden’s La Marzocco’s are fired up.
Maybe the situation is as dire as their pitch claims–that it’s hard to get space in a supportive environment. Their online financing campaign, though, sounds more like a virtual rent party to raise enough money to pay the first few months on the lease. Which does make some sense.
Buona fortuna, Talent Garden!
Photo credits: Docteur Cosmos, Magnus Manske