AKRON, Ohio, (May 24, 2019) – Bounce Innovation Hub, located at 526 S. Main St. in downtown Akron, hosted a public celebration to commemorate the opening of its newly renovated first-floor Generator space, on Wed., May 22. An initial estimate for number of guests is 700-800. Activities were planned throughout the day to showcase the new space, programs and amenities, as well as Bounce’s current startups in residence.
The day kicked off at 8 a.m. and culminated in the Grand Opening and Open House main event from 4-8 p.m.
- Free Coworking Day attracted approximately 100 people who took advantage of amenities such as shared coworking space, privacy booths and conference rooms.
- More than 45 yogis joined local yoga studio Yoga Squared for a free morning session, followed by refreshments and a tour.
- Approximately 40 entrepreneurs took advantage of Bounce’s initial Office Hours session, which included one-on-one meetings with business experts in a variety of specializations. Each attendee received three, 20-minute meetings and a tour of the first floor.
- The day culminated with more than 600 people attending the official Grand Opening and Open House, 4-8 p.m. The main event started with a welcome from Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan in the Signal Tree event space, followed by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, Bounce Board Chair Deborah Hoover and Bounce CEO Doug Weintraub. It then concluded with a series of rolling events including tours of the first floor; a building-wide open house featuring Bounce’s current companies on floors 2-9; hands-on experiences and demos in the esports lab and creative co-op/makerspace; DIY craft activities; a social media scavenger hunt featuring the local art and design pieces installed on the first floor and Demo Day, where five software companies in Bounce’s accelerator programs pitched their product to a live audience of about 50 people.
“This grand opening was our way of showing the community everything we have to offer in one day – and I think it went above and beyond. I am thrilled by and thankful for the support Akron showed us today,” said Bounce CEO Doug Weintraub. “We want people to know that Bounce is a community space. We’ve thrown open our doors to provide a welcoming environment for all to work and create.”
At 300,000 square feet, Bounce is the largest facility in the northeast Ohio entrepreneurial ecosystem that houses multiple programs, services and amenities under one roof. This includes the first floor (coworking, Workshop, esports, events and coffee shop); two software accelerator programs; a technology incubator program and a creative community.
The 27,000 first-floor Generator space is a modern, industrial space that captures the spirit of Akron’s past and present, designed and accented with locally made materials, artwork, furniture and furnishings. More than 75 local artists were enlisted to help bring the space to life; building and creating more than 160 original pieces of work.
“I could not be prouder of Bounce and where they are headed,” said Mayor Horrigan. “I’ve seen this model thrive in other cities and I know this open innovation hub has the ability to catapult entrepreneurialism in Akron to new heights. While Bounce is anchored in Akron, my hope is that it will serve our brother and sister cities across northeast Ohio – from Barberton to Youngstown, Warren to Cleveland – connecting them into a network of other hubs and sparking a brighter future for our collective economy.”
Bounce has extensive support from its many partners and sponsors, including presenting partners Akron Children’s Hospital, Bridgestone, Medical Mutual, The City of Akron and The University of Akron. Please visit https://bouncehub.org/grand-opening/ for a complete list of event sponsors.
Bounce’s current hours of operation (subject to change):
- Remarkable Coffee and Café: 6:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
- Coworking: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (Day Pass and Part-Timer memberships)
- The Workshop: A Creative Co-op: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. (Day Pass, Hourly Pass and Basic Membership)
Bounce also offers all-access membership packages for coworking and The Workshop and event and meeting/conference space. Visit www.bouncehub.org for more information.
About Bounce
Located at 526 S. Main St., Bounce Innovation Hub is the region’s first open innovation hub serving Northeast Ohio’s entrepreneurial and innovation community. Bounce encourages open collaboration among diverse groups through unique opportunities, programs and events that engage anyone and everyone with a mind for innovation. Visit www.bouncehub.org for more information.
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Contact: Jeanine Black, chief marketing officer, jblack@bouncehub.org