Last week, we moved to Galvanize in Pioneer Square, Seattle. After touring many spaces and thinking about strategic, economic and ecosystem considerations, Galvanize seemed to be the perfect fit for us. Few reasons are obvious. Galvanize offers some of the best technology instruction here in Seattle and as a result, attracts technology students, entrepreneurs and enthusiasts who are potential applicants to the 9Mile Labs program. During the program, the opportunity for our entrepreneurs to interact and network with other entrepreneurs is invaluable. Once our companies graduate out of the program, they need a home and a place that provides a rich entrepreneur-friendly environment. Galvanize is one of the best work spaces we saw for technology startups in Seattle in our fairly extensive research process.
The benefits were immediately apparent the very first day we moved in. The CEO of one of our portfolio companies was using his “free day” at Galvanize and happened to mention that they were ready to hire their first set of developers. Within the next few minutes, we connected him to Daniel, the Student Outcomes manager who connects Galvanize students with prospective employers. The synergies are brilliant! J
There are many other ways the two organizations complement each other. At 9Mile Labs, we bring in great speakers and host panel discussions about topics of interest to technology entrepreneurs. By making some of these available to the broader Galvanize community, we can amplify the impact of our efforts. The ongoing stream of hundreds of mentors, customers, speakers, entrepreneurs and investors at 9Mile Labs is great exposure for the world-class technology education programs and tech startup-friendly environment at Galvanize. Galvanize’s member startups can benefit from 9Mile Labs’ experience coaching and helping startups with office hours, presentations and informal sessions.
We’re driven by our mission to help build a world-class entrepreneurial community here in Seattle. We believe our move into Galvanize will enable both organizations magnify our individual efforts!