If you’re looking for a sign that Unit B is right for you, this might be it.
It’s not an exaggeration to say Unit B Coworking has played a vital role in the success thus far of the Alberta Podcast Network, powered by ATB.
Unit B, a coworking space in downtown Edmonton, has provided a strong home base for our small business, offering not only all of the amenities needed to get work done every day (including a podcast studio!), but also a community of great people.
So it’s truly a pleasure to be able to use the power of the network to let more people know about Unit B, a place that is “focused on helping people pursue their passions and making Edmonton its creative best.”
It started in 2011 in the basement of the McKenney Building at 10187 104 St. by a bunch of business who couldn’t find space, so they created their own. It has since expanded to the main floor. A number of successful businesses — including Kick Point, Berlin Communications, Strong Coffee Marketing, DOSC, Fire and Flower Cannabis, and Punchcard Systems — got their start at Unit B and grew into bigger places.
It is currently the home of such new and established organizations as NewEngage Training, Lex3 Engineering, YEG Live, Fancii, Progress Alberta and Taproot Publishing, and a workplace for a number of freelancers and remote workers .
I could tell you about all the features available here, but you’re better off visiting the website or booking a tour. Instead, let me tell you a story about the kind of serendipity that a place like this makes possible.
Around the time that Unit B was starting in 2011, I was leaving the Edmonton Journal, where I had spent 14 years as a journalist. I wrote this blog post, in which I quoted Robert Krulwich’s foundational commencement speech to Berkeley’s journalism grads:
“Think about NOT waiting your turn. Instead, think about getting together with friends that you admire, or envy. Think about entrepreneuring. Think about NOT waiting for a company to call you up. Think about not giving your heart to a bunch of adults you don’t know. Think about horizontal loyalty. Think about turning to people you already know, who are your friends, or friends of their friends and making something that makes sense to you together, that is as beautiful or as true as you can make it.”
Justin Archer read that post and loved that quote. In 2013, when designer Elizabeth Schowalter started working at Berlin, he asked her to make it one of her first projects. He had 10 copies of her beautiful hand-lettered poster printed and gave them to friends.
One ended up in Unit B co-founder Lisa Hagen’s office, and stayed behind when she moved to New York. Jas Panesar of NewEngage Training came across it and moved it to a more prominent place last fall because it spoke to him, too. And that’s when I came across it, completely unaware of any of this until I saw the print and expressed my surprise and gratitude on Instagram, prompting Justin to explain how it had come to be here.
All this to say that this is the kind of people Unit B attracts, and this is the kind of thing we believe with all our hearts. And if horizontal loyalty appeals to you, then this could be the place for you, too.
Unit B Coworking is a sponsor of the Alberta Podcast Network. If you would like to harness the power of the network to promote your organization, here’s what we offer. Get in touch at hello@albertapodcastnetwork.com.