Work Evolution - creative coworking space in Long Beach, CA - Work Evolution - creative coworking space in Long Beach, CA

Capturing the Essence: Lara Mirinjian

2015-06-25T00:00:00+00:00

Lara Mirinjian is an immensely talented pianist and entrepreneur whose passion for music has driven her to create an online piano course for beginners. Lara’s unique approach is to teach her students the foundation of music based on rhythm, ensuring they learn this crucial element in order for them to have a full understanding of music.

New to the Work Evolution community, she’s been a member for just over a month and is now expanding to in-person group classes here at Work Evolution. WE asked Lara some questions about her business, passions, and aspirations. Here are some memorable moments from our conversation that WE believe captures her true essence:

“Your heart has to be behind everything you do. And if it’s not, it’s not going to be successful. This world is run by love. You know, if something is going to be successful it’s because you love it. You nurture something that you love . . . . Your business is you. It’s a representation of you.”

“What inspires us to play music? It’s passion. It’s what’s in our hearts. So by focusing on our passion for the music…then anyone can learn how to play.”

“I don't sell piano lessons. I sell passion for life through music.”

“Music is so much more important than what a lot of people think. I know musicians all agree. But for the ones who are not musicians, music can change your life. You know, that’s what it’s done for me…there’s so much love to be felt around music.”

Lara will hold two introductory classes for adults on July 1^st; the first from 6-7pm and the second from 7-8pm right here at Work Evolution. To stay updated with Lara’s piano lessons and online courses, visit her website at www.larasmusic.com.

Calling all Los Angeles and Long Beach Art Lovers!

2015-01-30T00:00:00+00:00

Join us tonight, Friday January 30th, for the WE Show Art Reception! WE Labs co-founder Robbie Brown and WE Show guest curator Liza Mitchell will lead a guided tour of artwork by local artists such as Rhett Johnson, Dave Van Patten, Walter Focht, Rene Tanner, and others. What’s special about this art event is that these artists will be present to introduce you to their art and answer any questions you may have.

Together, the incredibly diverse artists represented in our first quarterly WE Show are truly a cross section of the contemporary art community, highlighting the artistic renaissance we are lucky to be experiencing here in Long Beach. From painting to photography, sculpture, and beyond, our walls are teeming with some of the most striking artwork that WE’ve ever encountered. WE invite you to join us as we bring the community and these talented people together in this intimate setting for an evening of artistic enlightenment.

If you can't make it tonight, don't worry! WE Show Art Tours will be held on the last Friday evening of every month, with different artists present at each tour.

6:30 pm - Refreshments

7:00 pm - Tour begins

More About WE Show:

In recognition that exhibition space is at a premium for Long Beach artists, WE Labs and the Arts Council for Long Beach partnered to create a new exhibition series, WE Show, just for Long Beach artists. Submission was open to all artists who were signed up on the Arts Council for Long Beach, Arts and Cultural Registry. Alex Diffin, Barry Rothstein, Caryn Baumgartner, Christine Lee Smith, Christine Nguyen, Connie Lane, Daniel Brezenoff, David Van Patten, Eric Almanza, Gazelle Samizay, Greg Jacobs, Jason Weinlein, Jose Loza, Kay Erickson, Kenny McBride, Linda L. Carlson, Marla Lombard, Michele Rene, Renee Tanner, Rhett Johnson, Scott Burchard, Sherry Ray-Von, Susan MacLeod and Walter Focht III were chosen for this inaugural and current WE Show.

The Arts and Culture Registry is a free service designed to be a comprehensive and inclusive list of artists and arts organizations serving Long Beach, California. It improves visibility for Long Beach’s impressive talent pool and offers a vehicle for local exposure and networking. The Registry is open to any artist who lives, works, performs or exhibits in Long Beach, California. Shows will exhibit on a quarterly basis and will be featured through monthly WE Hour gallery tours as well as WE Labs’ After Art Walk event, all beginning January, 2015.

WE Labs is Long Beach’s co-working and creative space located downtown at 325 East Broadway. Our large, inviting space also serves as a gallery and event location, making this a unique opportunity for Long Beach artists to expand their audience. WE hope you'll join us for this special evening.

Society for Long Beach Music #Collaboration

2015-01-16T00:00:00+00:00

In 2014, WE Labs Founder Markus Manley and members Menchie Caliboso and Sarah Bennett conceptualized and co-founded the Society for Long Beach Music (SLBM), a collective that fosters the appreciation of music and culture in Long Beach. SLBM documents, investigates, and celebrates the music and culture of Long Beach, the most diverse city in the nation. Anyone who lives, loves and wants to learn more about Long Beach through its multi-genre aural output is a welcomed member.

The Society for Long Beach Music's mission is to provide a space in which artists, fans and community members can discover, re-learn, discuss and revel in the stories and unique culture of Long Beach through its diverse music scene. Devoted to creating a more innovative Long Beach, SLMB members are interested in sharing this city's music past and present while sparking conversations about its future.

Read more below from our own WE Labs member Menchie Caliboso in her piece on highlights from the scene in 2014 and visit their website at www.societyforlongbeachmusic.org to support and join the SLMB movement:

2014 Society for Long Beach Music Highlights

Written by: Menchie Caliboso

2014 was a year of both proud accomplishments and heart-wrenching tragedy. Markus, Sarah, and I (Menchie) met regularly from Spring 2013 to March 2014 to conceptualize Society for Long Beach Music. It was clear that we were on the same wavelength. We wanted people to see our local music not just as entertainment, but through a cultural perspective that has strengthened the dynamic spirit of Long Beach and its diversity. We wanted to strengthen our community, not by curating live shows and booking local talent, but by talking about how our local music scene, from its inception after World War II, has impacted people and music worldwide, as well as how our local music reflects the stories of our community members.

In March 2014, Long Beach lost Markus Manley — suddenly and without warning, our friend, innovator, collaborator and fellow local music lover was gone. We decided to launch Society for Long Beach into the public as soon as possible in his honor. If you lived in Long Beach during that time, you felt the weight of his passing, whether you knew Markus or not. From the arts and music to technology and from non-profits organizations to creative start-ups, Markus was a renaissance man who strived for a stronger, better, and more connected Long Beach. Naturally, he knew so many people and contributed his efforts to countless projects in Long Beach and beyond. We will always miss him and part of his legacy lives through Society for Long Beach Music.

We also dedicated our first zine to Markus Manley. You can still view the entire zine HERE where you find snippets from Sarah Bennett’s comprehensive thesis on Long Beach music (with particular regard to the diversity of Long Beach and the globalization of music), Top 5 Long Beach Songs chosen by Rudy De Anda (Wild Pack of Canaries) and Jesse Carzello (Bobby Blunders), and lyrics by local hip-hop duo Shining Sons, who often rap about their experience as community organizers in Long Beach.

We also successfully launched an Indie Week Campaign with Localism, Porch Party Records, Long Beach Independent, and Falling Mirrors Collective. Our goal was to connect local residents to local businesses using music, so we booked four different bands in four different stores on four different days during the week of Independence Day. Altogether, 16+ small businesses and 16 local acts participated.

You can still DOWNLOAD a compilation of the participating Indie Week LB artists. Although we worked under a time budget, we were happy with the diverse lineup of artists we were able to book, as a diverse lineup would truly represent the rich cultural mosaic of Long Beach. Among many in this compilation, you will find hip hop and electronica producer NiceGuyxVinny, who has recently been signed onto Los Angeles record-label Soulection. You’ll also find Gnocchi, a low-key jazz outfit who spend most of their time touring for national acts, such as Nas and Kanye West, and playing local gigs during their time off.

In 2015, our main goal is to simply keep growing by spreading cultural education and appreciation of Long Beach music through more articles, a music anthology project, and maybe even a video series! Given our limited capacity, we are always on the look out for people who are interested in writing, producing video content, or contributing digital or physical copies of Long Beach music for Society for Long Beach Music.

Most importantly, we thank you all so much for your support and we look forward to a good year!

We Labs Visits Agenda Trade Show 2015

2015-01-14T00:00:00+00:00

Agenda Trade Show’s impact on Long Beach, Los Angeles, and all of Southern California is a study of not only the effect of counterculture on society, but also of how over 750 lifestyle brands can change the economic landscape. Varying from Nike to Obey, Zero Skateboards to Lunar Socks, there truly is something for everyone - from industry insiders to impatient and dedicated fans.

Looking back to last January’s Agenda, covered in detail by WE Labs’ own Sarah Bennett, one can see how the city of Long Beach quickly became a leader in the buying and selling of surf, skate, sneaker and streetwear brands. “There have been brands that their whole career has been launched here,” says Agenda founder Aaron Levant, who personally chooses which brands get invited to buy booths each year. “The retailers and buyers they met with and the press they got from this event has literally changed and made their brand and that’s a really cool thing to be a part of—these entrepreneurs fulfilling their dreams and chasing their passions.” - Click for more of Sarah's article in the LB Post.

As a creative collaborative coworkspace dedicated to helping entrepreneurs and small businesses grow, all of us here at WE Labs know the feeling Mr. Levant describes above and couldn’t be more excited to see the evolution of Agenda in our own back yard. “[A]fter 11 years in business, Agenda has become much more than just a place where youth culture brands come to make sales in sunny SoCal. It has expanded to become an all-encompassing celebration of the California lifestyle with live art, daytime drinking, a food truck court and celebrity sightings from Famous Stars and Straps owner (and Blink 182 drummer) Travis Barker to Long Beach luminary Snoop Dogg, who this year had no less than three collaborations with different brands featured across Agenda.” - Click for more of Sarah's article in the LB Post.

As for this year? The 2015 Agenda Trade Show has worldwide appeal and showcases how to build brands from the ground up. The Long Beach convention center is the perfect forum; hosting Agenda positions our city at the crossroads of small business and entrepreneurial growth. An expanded women’s section highlights a growing sector within the lifestyle retail market. There was a notable uptick in designers focusing brands exclusively on women this year, a welcome sign in this traditionally male dominated industry.

The intensity was palpable, as Agenda benefited from not only being the first trade show of the 2015 season, but also from the cold weather preceding it: “A cold snap in December pushed a higher demand for apparel, retailers said. A few days after the New Year, Agenda booths were packed with buyers, according to vendors.” - Click for more from Andrew Asch on Agenda 2015.

On the trade show floor Long Beach small business owners could see firsthand how an original idea combined with the right niche market can create billion dollar trends that move markets. This intrepid WE Labs representative was reinvigorated after immersing myself in the action - coworking goes hand in hand with the independent and fresh minded thinking that leapt off the convention floor. I couldn’t help but picture how these businesses would flourish within WE Labs’ creative environment, and am even more excited as I look forward to seeing our members represent Long Beach and make the transition to exhibitors in coming years.

We told you there was something for everyone...

WE Labs Interviewed for Outlier Magazine

2014-12-09T00:00:00+00:00

"Having a true creative center, somewhere that people can bounce ideas off each other and network is key to survival." - Robbie Brown

Robbie Brown, CEO, and Ted Sieving, COO, talked with Outlier Magazine about WE Labs and the benefits of coworking:

You can catch the video walk-through tour of the workspace here.

Why Coworking Is Right for Your Greater Los Angeles Business

2014-11-19T00:00:00+00:00

According to Right Management Consultants, 86% of corporate employees are actively seeking employment elsewhere. What is it about the corporate business model that has so many looking for something different? Could coworking be the answer to what corporate escapees are looking for?

In 1996, Activity Based Working was introduced in the Netherlands (spreading to Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, the United Kingdom, and Scandinavia), offering employees a bit of flexibility in not only where they worked, but when. This reduced the amount of desks corporations needed, as well as increased productivity by giving individuals options in choosing where they felt their work could be accomplished most effectively. Coworking spaces evolved from concepts such as these with only one center in 2005, to 781 cowork spaces by 2013.

“Indie Desk is a coworking space— a middle ground between working out of your loft and renting your own office. You'll find a desk and an Internet connection, but also a community of members who are building their own creative businesses.”

“Working from home is isolating and leads to slower business growth and a slew of distractions. Posh CoWorking provides a supportive community for entrepreneurs and freelancers who want a space to work, connect with peers and collaborate.”

“Harlem Garage is a coworking space for Harlem businesses, and a community space for Harlem. Entrepreneurs work and meet clients in our space, and teams make ideas happen in our collaborative areas.”

Occupying the entire 8th floor, WE Labs (Work Evolution Laboratories) is 8500 square feet of Long Beach entrepreneurship. WE balance the classic stylings of the historic Pacific Tower with cutting-edge tech innovation, inspiring members to work for themselves, not by themselves. In trying to get you out of your home office and onto what WE call “the playing field of innovation” (like Indie Desk in LA), WE offer 2 wings of large, small, and dedicated deskspace. The walls and open spaces are filled with fixtures, installations, and canvases by local artist curated by co-founder and CEO Robbie Brown. Additionally, the west wing hosts events and workshops, as well being a satellite location for PadNet TV (Public Access Long Beach). The interchange between part-time freelance members and full-time members (similar to Posh CoWorking in Austin) has led to successful community events and concepts. With The Works, soon freelancers can be in the running for future service contracts. WE Labs is very much a place for Long Beach business (like Harlem Garage) with a conference room available for reservations, including discounted rates for members. Our bottom-up approach to business reflects the values Virginia Rometty, CEO of IBM, expressed in a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations: that a “person’s value lies not in what she/he knows, but in what he/she shares.” WE work together, WE learn together, WE grow together.

WE Are WE Labs: Meet the creative forces behind the WE Labs community

2014-10-31T00:00:00+00:00

Meet the creative forces behind the WE Labs community:
TED SIEVING, COO

Theodore Christian Sieving is a California licensed attorney and Chief Operating Officer of WE Labs, Inc. After graduating from Michigan State University with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology, he earned his Juris Doctorate from Emory University School of Law. After working with a handful of startups and entrepreneurs, his practical experience as an attorney and business consultant—combined with an irrepressible belief in the collaborative process and empowering creative individuals to monetize their talents—prepared him uniquely for his current role as Chief Operating Officer with WE Labs, Inc.

WE: How did you first get involved with WE Labs?

TS: When close personal friend and Founder of WE Labs Markus Manley passed away suddenly at the age of 39, Markus’ mother Mary Charles along with co-founder Robbie Brown asked me to help carry on the WE Labs vision and join in the formation process of WE Labs, Inc. Without hesitation, I accepted, taking on the awesome responsibility of continuing to make Markus’ dream a reality.

WE: What are you most excited about for the future of WE Labs?

TS: I'm most excited to see WE Labs achieving the dream that Markus told me about when I first met him. I see members collaborating and our community growing and I know how happy Markus would be. We're working towards a partnership with the City of Long Beach, LBCC, the SBDC, and already have synergistic relationships with local businesses for event sponsorship and member discounts. (For example, WE Labs members get 10% off at Beachwood BBQ & Brewing!) As we go forward and look to open a new and complementary location in San Pedro, I'm excited to see WE Labs reach new heights and be able to better serve our members and community.

WE Labs Member Spotlight: Danielle Mitchell

2014-10-23T00:00:00+00:00

Member Spotlight On: Danielle Mitchell, Director of The Poetry Lab

WE: Tell us a little about yourself and your work.

DM: The Poetry Lab is a writing workshop event that takes place on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of every month. Our events combine elements of lecture/craft talk and generative writing workshop. Our goal is to grow the literary community in the city of Long Beach, to help support writers as they write, read, collaborate, experiment, and find networking connections. Our focus is on good writing as well as good relationships. It is on this idea that we’re building the second phase of the original Poetry Lab plan, a visiting writer’s series called Stranded Artist.

Stranded Artist is a special event that invites writers from out of town to a one-day residency at WE Labs. In the morning they lead a workshop, in the afternoon they participate in a question and answer session, and in the evening they feature at a poetry reading. The entire WE Labs community is invited to these events, especially the evening portion where members are treated to a short, but inspiring poetry reading followed by a mixer and dance party. Last year’s event was a success that brought new voices and collaborators into WE Labs and we hope this year’s event on Saturday, November 1st will be even more valuable to our community.

WE: How long have you been a member of WE Labs? How did you first get involved?

DM: I’ve been a part of WE Labs since February of 2013 when Poetry Lab started. Although, I first “got involved” earlier on when Markus was posting surveys and other promo matter to Facebook. I’d go in and proof read the materials and send the guys edits. I didn’t set foot in WE Labs for the first time until January. Markus and I had been friends for several years. In 2010 he was instrumental in helping a new poetry show get it’s start at The Basement Longue on Broadway. I met him there and we’ve been friends ever since.

WE: What are you excited to work on in the future?

DM: The future of The Poetry Lab looks bright. Our next big event is the Stranded Artist workshop and reading on Saturday, November 1st. We sincerely hope the WE Labs community will come enjoy what our artists have to offer. In the new year, The Poetry Lab will expand programming to include a monthly critical workshop. The format of the workshop will allow us to give detailed feedback on individual pieces of writing, which will help our writers become more studied and professional (as well as awesome and creative!). We are also working towards a book club, mentorship programs, and a printed anthology celebrating the first few years of The Poetry Lab.

WE: What’s your favorite thing about working at WE Labs?

DM: My favorite thing about WE Labs has always been the community of creative innovators that are housed within it. From the very first time I walked into the WE offices I knew Markus had done something amazing, and rare. He’d brought freelancers, community organizations, professionals, entrepreneurs, artists, techies, and musicians together under one roof. And they remained there, happily. WE Labs is so much more than a cowork space. It has a heart, a real beating heart. And to be in that space, to feel the love of not just one friend, but many new friends, that is my favorite thing.

This Weekend: Long Beach Poetry Festival

2014-10-17T00:00:00+00:00

Looking for a way to support local artists this weekend? Come on out for the 4th Annual Long Beach Poetry Festival this Saturday, October 18th, from 10:30am-9pm. Hosted by local writers Donna Hilbert, Kevin Lee, Tamara Madison, Clint Margrave, and Paul Tayyar, and sponsored in part by a grant from Poets & Writers, this all-day event is FREE and open to the public.

This year's festival, taking place downtown in the Cultural Alliance Long Beach's Bungalow Building at 727 N Pine Ave, will be headlined by Joe Weil, along with a full day of Southern California and Long Beach poets. In fact, stop by at 12pm to hear WE Labs' own Danielle Mitchell, who runs The Poetry Lab every first and third Thursday of the month, right here in our coworking space.

Below is a full schedule of Saturday's readers. We hope to see you there!

10:30: Doors open

11:00 – 12:00
Elder Zamora
Ricki Mandeville
John Gardiner

12:00 – 1:00
Danielle Mitchell
Olivier Bochettaz
Kevin Ridgeway

1:30 – 2:30
Grant Hier
Jennifer K Sweeney
Michael Miller

3:00–4:00
Mathieu Cailler
Lynne Thompson
Shawnte Orion

4:00– 5:00
Bill Gainer
Julia Stein
Michael Meyerhofer

5:00-6:00
John Tottenham
Sonia Greenfield
Manuel Paul Lopez

6:00-7:00
Douglas Kearney
Emily Vogel
Troy Jollimore

7:30
Joe Weil

Why YOU should have events at WE LABS

2014-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

1. We have 8500 square feet of space to accommodate you and your party.
Have you been to WE Labs? WE occupy the entire 8th floor in a building that is in the exact center of the downtown area. Located on the corner of Long Beach Boulevard and Broadway, WE have a 360 degree view of the city of Long Beach where, every night, you can see the fireworks from Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, and the Queen Mary.

2. Getting here is EASY!
Downtown Long Beach is a notoriously hard place to find parking, but not at WE Labs. WE are located one block away from the free 2-hour City Parking lots. If that isn’t enough time, there are two (count ‘em, two) City of Long Beach lots that cost only $5 for the entire day located across the street from us!!! As if that weren’t easy enough, WE are also located one block away from the Transit Mall. You can go green and get drunk at the same time.

3. Affordable
WE Labs is a community-minded connector organization that welcomes all organizations and parties. Our focus as a business is to have a space where anyone can drop in and connect. WE don’t expect you to work by yourself, why do you think that we would want you to party by yourself? WE have packages available at all price points.

4.Access to a super awesome event coordinator.
Did you even know that WE Labs has an event coordinator? Well, it does, and she is AWESOME!!! Award-winning and notorious for wrangling zombies and WE Labs staff, Ina can help you with all of your party needs. Remember how WE don’t want you to work or party by yourself? Well, WE also don’t want you to plan by yourself—that’s what Ina is for!

So really, what are you waiting for? Contact us about your next event. WE are here for YOU.