Cowerks tech and entrepreneurial hub launches its Lake Avenue expansion Monday, with a soon to follow satellite on Main Street, conveniently located across from the city’s transportation center.
When founders Bret Morgan and Danny Croak [shown at right] set out over six years ago to create a coworking venue, they had no idea the need would catapult as it has.
“We’re excited,” Morgan said. “Back in 2010 we set out building a grassroots community. Now there’s a lot of small design shops, digital agencies, and even more young creatives. We want to be a hub for them; provide a network, resources and people to work and partner with.”
Founded in 2010, Cowerks has a roster of approximately 250 members; is home to the Jersey Shore Tech Meetup – a group with more than 1,600 members; and conducts an array of programs and educational workshops for adults and children, alike.
“It’s insane,” Morgan said of the increased need. “We have 17 people working for us now in some capacity. It’s crazy, but it really does speak to the need.”
Often located near transportation hubs, coworking spaces have increased in demand over the past three years as the startup boom has taken hold, according to a March Forbes article.
“In the past year and a half we’ve been getting more inquiries as Asbury Park comes on more people’s radar, especially those from New York City,” Morgan said. “People keep saying Asbury Park is coming back, I’d say it’s pretty much here. The opportunities are here for pretty much any one looking for a creative endeavor or business venture.”
Having outgrown the 1,600 square foot space on the third floor of the Lakehouse Music building [at right], their closing this week on a $250,000 state Economic Development Authority [EDA] loan helps move the expansion forward.
“Danny and Bret exemplify New Jersey’s entrepreneurial spirit,” EDA Chief Executive Officer Melissa Orsen said in a written statement. “Growing the State’s innovation ecosystem remains a top priority of the EDA, and we are thrilled to support an organization that shares this commitment.”
In short, entrepreneurs work side by side, sharing ideas and resources, without committing to the costs associated with establishing new offices. Whether the need is a part- or fulltime desk, conference room, or private event space, options are tailored fit.
“Funding provided through the loan will help us quadruple our available space for startups and entrepreneurs to run their business,” Morgan said. “With the expanded facility will also come opportunities for us to hold even more classes and workshops, enabling us to become the go-to resource for technology and entrepreneurial activities in the area.”
Nearly $175,000 will go toward the satellite, located in the Second Life Bike’s venue at 21 Main Street.
With a planned Springwood Avenue entrance, nine offices will be created on the mezzanine, with a conference room and private event space, ground floor small business makerspaces, and a café run by the entrepreneurs behind the High Voltage boardwalk venue, Morgan said.
Second Life Bikes will keep its Main Street entrance and first floor footprint at the front of the building.
In the immediate, the Lakehouse expansion [at 619 Lake Ave] includes additional private offices, dedicated desk space, private call rooms, and the creation of a large team space, Morgan said. The idea behind the team office is to allow four or five people to set up shop in the private shared space.
“It’s priced a little more affordable than the dedicated private office space,” Morgan said.
And while a conference room and private event space complete the Lakehouse expansion, by late fall a small renovation will get underway to further customize the space according to need.
The Cowerks team has established partnerships with Rutgers University, NJ Makerspace Association, NJ Tech Meetup and WithumSmith+Brown, giving its members access to their resources and information.
They also launched a new website and created Makers & Shakers Digital Magazine, with the purpose of featuring local stories that motivate and inspire. Their first feature is a profile of local entrepreneur Craig Phares.
Cowerks’ customized children’s workshops includes tutorials for children at the Boys and Girls Club of Asbury Park, and students at Mt. Carmel and Hope Academy.
“Through grants we are able to tailor the content and bring it into the schools,” Morgan said. “It’s good community relations and it’s a good way for people to give back and inspire a new generation. The kids are often more receptive because it’s not a teacher but a professional engineer doing things in the real world.”
The workshops help fill a niche many school districts cannot.
“School budgets are getting slashed, especially in arts and sciences,” Morgan said. “We won’t fully know the pain of this for another 5 to 10 years when these kids begin entering the workforce.”
And, let us not forget the Asbury Fresh farmers and crafters markets they run Friday night and Sunday mornings in Kennedy Park, as well as their Saturday satellite in Belmar.
Below is Morgan’s interview with @NJEDATech:
Why did you choose to establish Cowerks in New Jersey?
Whether you consider yourself a musician or artist, a mobile app developer, a startup, a maker, or any combination of the aforementioned, Asbury Park is an incredible melting pot for creativity and talent.
We are quickly approaching a positive inflection point for technology and entrepreneurship in both New Jersey and at the Jersey Shore. What we are building is bigger than any one individual or business and that is evident in the community that has grown in and around Cowerks these past six years.
On a personal note, Danny and I are both Asbury Park residents, so it’s only natural to want to work where you live.
What do you consider Cowerks’ biggest success to date?
I’m particularly proud of the grassroots community we’ve built here in 
Asbury Park. Over the past six years we’ve completely bootstrapped a tech and entrepreneurial community in an area where there was very little culture of entrepreneurship. We were in Asbury Park when it just started to make its comeback and now since that revitalization has arrived, you’re really starting to see this culture start to transcend our space and community – that’s something we’re extremely humbled by and proud of.
What advice do you have for entrepreneurs starting out in New Jersey?
Don’t wait – start building today! Far too often people come to us with ideas, yet there seems to be a fear of the unknown that holds them back 
from starting. If you don’t know how to code, hire a developer or, better yet, learn to code – there are plenty of affordable online tools or classes to get started. If you don’t have money, start with something small, try and build a customer base, and take it from there; even the tallest skyscrapers are started by digging a hole. I feel that tech and entrepreneurship have gone from the fringe to the forefront – it’s hip and prestigious to run a startup. Just make sure that you’re an entrepreneur and not a “wantrepreneur” and remember that the first step to making the leap is to just build something and ship it.
Events and Programs:
Coffee and Coworking – a networking event that gives area entrepreneurs, developers, designers, and investors an opportunity to connect. On Friday morning, the group met at High Voltage.
Lunch and Learn – geared toward new business/startups. At noon on Friday, CPA Jose Antunes of WithumSmith+Brown led a tax Q&A at Lentil Tree.
Robotics Workshop – Through a partnership with the College of Robotics in Oregon, two week-long tutorials will be given to children ages 7 to 12 and interested adults, 18 and over.
Asbury Agile – Annual Conference for entrepreneurs, startups, technology professionals, and students at the Jersey Shore.
[Photos courtesy of Cowerks]
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