Mass. space vacant since the 1990s may get new life helping underserved business owners

The Sphere group, which works to connect and empower women and nonbinary business owners in Western Massachusetts, and beyond, is opening a coworking space in Florence soon with the aid of a $100,000 grant.

The space — which has been vacant since the 1990s — is expected to be located at 82 Maple Street and will be called The Sphere Innovation Lab. The lab will offer an “inclusive space for organizations and individuals seeking entrepreneurial support or accessible options for collaborative opportunities, professional resources and private workspace,” said The Sphere co-founder Megan Allen.

Allen stated that The Sphere already has a letter stating their intent to open the storefront.

“The Sphere Innovation Lab is set to become a valuable resource, fostering collaboration, providing access to professional resources and ultimately, supporting the growth and success of businesses in Northampton. This initiative aligns with our commitment to building a more inclusive and equitable business environment in our city,” said Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra.

The Sphere is one of 39 projects funded by the collaborative workspace. This program aims to increase the rate of business creation, job creation and entrepreneurial activities by funding infrastructure that supports community-based innovations. The collaborative workspace program is part of the state’s community one stop for growth awards which used 13 state grant programs to distribute $164 million in funding to 338 local economic development projects. The grants were distributed across 161 communities within the Commonwealth.

Allen, who is also the founder of the Community Classroom, a tutoring and academic coaching center in Florence, said The Sphere will be using the grant funds to renovate the storefront in Florence which hasn’t been occupied since the 1990s. The renovations will begin in January, and the soft opening is tentatively scheduled for spring 2024.

A former bake shop

The storefront is in a block of stores called Parson’s Block which was built in the late 1800s, according to Virginia Shea, manager of Doyle’s Package Store in Parson’s Block whose family owned the complex for three generations until they sold it in June 2022.

Shea said her grandparents came to Florence in the 1940s, taking over Bird’s Store in Parson’s Block and later were able to purchase it.

“It was an entrepreneurial move in the ‘40s, and a risk,” Shea said. “Years later, it went up for sale … He and my grandma thought, well, why don’t we buy the building? It will secure our future.”

Shea said it was her father’s vision to keep Florence quaint and local, not wanting Parson’s Block to be turned over to a corporation but a place meant for locals.

“My grandmother used to call it [Parson’s Block] the jewel of Florence,” Shea said smiling.

Before its vacancy, Shea said The Sphere’s potential new co-working space was a bake shop. Shea remembers hearing the morning rush of people in her first apartment, which was above the 82 Maple Street shopfront.

“I remember the slapping of the door at 5, 6 in the morning when people would come in to get their bread and deliveries,” Shea said. “The wafting of bread being made and baked goods.”

Since the family bake shop closed, Shea said her father didn’t find the right tenants to rent the space and it has been used off and on as storage.

While Parson’s Block is now out of the family, Shea said she hopes the new owners are able to keep the historical parts of the residential units and storefronts, highlighting the tin detailing in many of the units.

What will Innovation Lab do?

“The Innovation Lab supports The Sphere’s mission to uplift and strengthen the Greater Northampton Area entrepreneurial ecosystem. The Lab will be intentionally designed to create collaboration and community to combat bias, streamline and ease access to resources, and provide time management solutions,” Allen said.

Allen added that the space would also offer a concierge-style service to help women and nonbinary entrepreneurs focus on business success.

“The Sphere Innovation Hub will play a vital role in boosting support for entrepreneurial activity, and this MassDevelopment workspace grant will provide the space and resources to help accelerate business growth and further position Northampton as a great place to start and develop a business,” said Vince Jackson, executive director of the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce.

Allen says that The Sphere worked with 46 women-owned businesses in the area and contributed almost $57,000 to the community within a year.

The Sphere was formed in 2009 and has since hosted a number of learning programs, including coffee and mentoring hours as well as three salons that help women and nonbinary entrepreneur connect.

Allen told us that she heard from many business owners who said their businesses flourished after attending a Sphere event. They were able to connect with people in Northampton as well as Springfield, Holyoke and Keene New Hampshire.

“Those stories of women supporting women, of business owners referring and supporting one another: Those are the data points that really fuel our work,” Allen said.

Allen stated that their curriculum, including their agendas, timetables, slide decks, and handouts, are all available on their website for free to allow other communities to duplicate what they have done.

“We are working hard to make resources within our network public and free. We are also hoping that other cities can use the research process we designed to identify their own barriers to success and create their own, personalized solution,” Allen said. “We are also looking for future funders and partners who can help us ensure free access to those entrepreneurs who need support.”

What is The Sphere?

According to the website of their company, The Sphere started as a concept for a podcast called “Monday Moxie” which featured female entrepreneurs with their stories about growth and leadership. Allen, Tiffany Chapman, and Carrielynn Fournier of Busy Bee-Cleans started the Resilient Project a few months later. The project highlighted the resilience of Florence’s women entrepreneurs during the pandemic. This project featured 17 female entrepreneurs of the Florence village in a joint installation consisting of portraits and audio podcasts.

The project was expanded in partnership with Downtown Northampton Association to help women business owners across the city overcome the challenges they face.

• Click here to read more Female business owners stymied ‘even in Northampton’ have a plan for change

Since its inception, the group received additional funding. The Innovation Institute at Massachusetts Technology Collaborative gave Downtown Northampton $200,000 this summer for The Sphere. MassTech had awarded the group $25,000 the year before to study the challenges faced by female Northampton entrepreneurs and develop a solution.

The Sphere’s solution, also known as their strategic plan, works to address the three barriers they’ve identified for women and nonbinary business owners, including intersectional identity, access to and ability to find resources and time.

“Mass Tech has been insanely supportive. They took a chance on us, for we aren’t the usual suspect as a Mass Tech grantee. They were communicative, open and supportive. It is a true partnership and we are forever grateful,” Allen said.

• Click here to read more New ‘Sphere’ in Northampton wins grant to support women and nonbinary entrepreneurs

Allen said that the Sphere spent the $200k to connect women and nonbinary owned businesses, create a map of trails for visitors, do studies to better understand Northampton and its needs, and develop resources to help boost Northampton’s economic success.

Allen said they are currently working on The Sphere’s strengths and skills database where someone visiting Northampton can access the businesses who are traditionally underserved by the community. The database will have an internal component that allows entrepreneurs to connect and share resources based on their skills, passions and strengths.

“We are each other’s best resource,” Allen said.

She said The Sphere was working with Smith College partners to determine if it could be made into an app.

The other Northampton organization which received grant money as part of the state’s community one stop for growth awards was Collaborative for Educational Services. The $100,000 will be used to enhance the food policy leaders program that focuses on 25 residents from Northampton who are Black or Latino and/or foreign-born, as well as those experiencing financial hardship.

The program is designed to help advance economic and civic solutions to food security. Stipends are distributed, training sessions are offered, and projects will be developed to improve employability, civic and leadership skills.

Here is a list of other Massachusetts awardees.