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Freelancers And Entrepreneuers Have A New Business Address In Pensacola

Pensacola Chamber of Commerce

The Pensacola Chamber of Commerce, the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Pensacola State College have announced a new business address in the city for young and growing entrepreneurs.

It's the introduction of a co-working space for freelance businesspeople or people who work at home and would like a more social work experience.  It's a new phase of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship's Business Incubator project in collaboration with the chamber and Pensacola State College. The business incubator has been in operation since 2008.

The Co-working lab takes up nearly 1000 square feet on the third floor of the CIE building at 418 West Garden Street in downtown Pensacola.  It's filled with a over dozen work stations, high speed internet, fax capabilities, access to CIE's conference rooms as well as the all important coffee maker.

Credit Bob Barrett / WUWF News
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WUWF News
Jerry Goldstein - Chairman of C.I.E.

The space in the building was donated and outfitted by Overgroup Consulting, a long time supporter of C-I-E.  Ross Overstreet is Chief Technology Officer and Cofounder of Overgroup Consulting.

And according to Jerry Goldstein, the Chairman of CIE, another goal of the project is to try and give bright, young people a place to get started in business close to home so they can stay close to home. According to Goldstein one of Pensacola's biggest exports "is our youth."

Credit Pensacola Chamber of Commerce
Crystal Smith

One young business woman at the unveiling of the space was Crystal Smith, a mobile solutions consultant who is in business for herself and wanted a business address in town. She said as soon as she heard about the co-working space that she knew it was the place she had to be. CIE is looking for young business people like Crystal to use the facility to build and grow.  And speaking of growing, CIE's Jerry Goldstein points out that space in the room is filling up fast and he hopes to expand the operation to the forth floor of the building.

Bob Barrett has been a radio broadcaster since the mid 1970s and has worked at stations from northern New York to south Florida and, oddly, has been able to make a living that way. He began work in public radio in 2001. Over the years he has produced nationally syndicated programs such as The Environment Show and The Health Show for Northeast Public Radio's National Productions.