Wake Forest Innovation Quarter

[zalo]

An update of the continuing construction on the Series 60's Bldgs which will be housing the Bowman Gray Medical Center & the undergraduate Wake Downtown programs.    Courtesy of Twin City.

[zalo]

Here is a comprehensive look at Wake Forest's development of the Innovation Quarter both past and future as featured in Wake Forest Magazine. It is a fascinating read and really confirms that WFIQ is the catalytic game changer that will be changing the face of Winston-Salem for years to come. Here's an excerpt from the article.

Work, live, learn, play.

That’s the mantra at Wake Forest Innovation Quarter, said its president, Eric Tomlinson.

He might need to add “grow” to the list, because this fast-developing district for innovation in research, education and business is bursting with new projects, including the expanded presence of the School of Medicine’s education programs two months ago and the upcoming addition of a group of Wake Forest undergraduate students in January. Next fall semester, Wake Forest will launch an undergraduate engineering program in Innovation Quarter.

“By the end of 2017, we’ll have a small town here,” said Tomlinson, who is also chief innovation officer at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

“The fact that the University is establishing an undergraduate program in engineering is a phenomenal step forward,” he said. “That will lead eventually to skills and capabilities in engineering in the city that we haven’t had. It’s going to have a huge impact if we can get those programs right and provide the graduates of that program with a reason to stay in Winston-Salem. That can then foster all types of new innovation as those students work next door to med students next door to biomedical engineering next door to big data next door to incubation space. It’s a very, very significant step for Innovation Quarter and for the city as a whole.”

Forsyth Tech brings about 6,000 workforce students a year to Innovation Quarter, and 1,100 students will be studying there in formal degree or training programs by the end of 2017. The area also is attracting housing; by mid-2018 Tomlinson expects there will be about 1,200 apartments in or contiguous to Innovation Quarter.

 

http://magazine.wfu.edu/2016/09/30/wake-forests-new-frontier-part-1/

http://magazine.wfu.edu/2016/09/30/wake-forests-new-frontier-part-2/

http://magazine.wfu.edu/2016/09/30/wake-forests-new-frontier-part-3/

http://magazine.wfu.edu/2016/09/30/wake-forests-new-frontier-gatefold/

http://magazine.wfu.edu/2016/09/30/wake-forests-new-frontier-sidebars/

[RichardC]

Thank you for the links zalo.  Interesting reads!!

[zalo]

Winston-Salem's WFIQ is the latest location of a trailblazing entrepreneur networking organization called Venture Cafe'. There are locations in Boston, Miami, St Louis and Rotterdam. This represents a further strengthening of the infrastructure needed to make the IQ shine as one of the premier research parks in the country.

Venture Café Winston-Salem, supports the innovation and entrepreneurship community in an effort to improve the human condition. It strives to broaden the application of innovation, increase diversity and inclusion in the innovation sector and connect innovation communities locally, regionally, nationally and globally. The organization will launch in early 2017 - stay tuned! 

The mission of the Venture Café has four pillars: (1) to build and strengthen communities of innovation, (2) to expand the definition of innovation and entrepreneurship, (3) to build a more inclusive innovation economy and (4) to share the stories of innovators in order to teach and inspire others to become innovators and support innovators’ work.

 

s - visit our growing network of sites below!é Winston-Salem is joining a global network of local Venture CaféVenture Caf

 

https://www.venturecafewinstonsalem.org/

 

[zalo]

Venture Café was formally debuted in the Camel City on Monday.  The nonprofit organization will initially open in space in Biotech Place or in Inmar Inc. in Wake Forest Innovation Quarter in downtown Winston-Salem early next year. It will then look for more permanent space within the next 18 months. This will be the organization’s fifth location.  Venture Café Winston-Salem is currently conducting a search for a founding executive director and expects to conduct final interviews in early January. The organization also plans to appoint a program director later in 2017. Interested applicants can visit the organization’s website at http://www.venturecafewinstonsalem.org.

Venture Cafe Global Institute, based in Cambridge, Mass., was created to support the global network of these independent Venture Cafe organizations. The institute offers training, resources and guides the expansion. “It is an organization that does programming all geared toward bringing the innovation community together,” said Travis Sheridan, president of the Venture Café Global Institute. This innovation includes bringing together health-technology, the arts, government, education and nonprofits. “In doing so, we have these cross-sector collisions,” Sheridan said. “I call them serendipitous collisions — getting the right people in the right place.”

He described Venture Cafe’s “Thursday Night Gathering” as a small conference on a weekly basis, saying that more than 500 people now participate in the event every week in St. Louis, compared with about 100 in the early stages of the event there. Sheridan said that Venture Café Global Institute chose to expand in Winston-Salem because of the city’s growing innovation community in the Innovation Quarter and Winston-Salem, known as the City of Arts and Innovation, along with the support of local businesses and institutions.  He wants Venture Café Winston-Salem to align with existing organizations and programs in Winston-Salem, such as Flywheel’s New Ventures Accelerator, Forsyth Technical Community College’s Small Business Center and the Creative Startups program hosted by the Center for Creative Economy. There are also plans for Venture Café to add to the series of free community events offered within the Innovation Quarter including Network Night, Yoga at Bailey Park, Boost, Innovation & Cinema and Engage. 

David Mounts, co-chairman for the Entrepreneurial Culture Committee of the Winston-Salem Alliance, and chairman and chief executive of Inmar, said, “Recent visitors to Winston Salem quickly realize that it has evolved to be one of the world’s leading innovation districts.”  He also said that the Triad is recognized as a top business environment for starting a new business.

“Joining Venture Café’s network provides important support and easy access for those seeking to invest in innovation and unique growth that is now occurring in our city and region,” Mounts said. In two to three years, Mounts hopes to see a thriving community with 100s of entrepreneurs and more than 100 new enterprises.  He said that Venture Cafe is for everyone and is open to the entire Triad.

 

http://www.journalnow.com/news/local/venture-caf-to-open-in-the-innovation-quarter-in-winston/article_eda8afa1-86da-5534-ac14-9508a68d6bc3.html

 

[zalo]

Wake Forest Innovation Quarter has a press release on the following news reported in the TBJ. This is outstanding news for the further development of a entrepreneurial network for the benefit not just of the WFIQ and Winston-Salem, but entrepreneurs from all over the Triad can come and set up shop for the betterment of the entire region.

Downtown  Winston-Salem co-working space Flywheel will be moving to the Center for Design Innovation in the south district of the Wake Forest Innovation Quarter in late January from its current location at the 525@Vine building. It's part of a new program partnership between Flywheel and the center, a 13.7 million building that opened in 2015 and serves as a partnership in education, research and design between Winston-Salem State University, the UNC-School of the Arts and Forsyth Technical Community College. Both Flywheel and CDI are focused on entrepreneurial skill development and resources for startups.

Peter Marsh, cofounder of Flywheel, said moving into a new space at CDI was an "opportunity we just could not turn down." "CDI offers our members a perfect complement of experimental research spaces, including rapid prototyping, flexible multimedia and computer labs, and the ideas and expertise of faculty across all disciplines," Marsh said. "All of these build capacity for both the academic communities and Flywheel’s community of freelancers and startups to put to use to launch and grow their businesses.

UNCSA Chancellor Lindsay said he was excited for Flywheel to continue incubating ideas, hatching startups, and launching successful companies at CDI. "Our partnership will foster artistic and entrepreneurial exploration to grow the local economy and fulfill Winston-Salem’s potential to become a leading cultural capital in the South," he said.  WSSU Chancellor Elwood Robinson added that the partnership is "an exciting opportunity to develop a dynamic entrepreneurial hub in the city." "As part of our strategic plan for 2016-2021, we are striving to provide all our students with exposure to high-impact experiences and creative thought," he said. "Through this partnership, our students will have exposure to innovation and entrepreneurship, which I hope sparks within them a desire to be the next change agents, pioneers, and thought leaders.”

 

 

 

Edited December 30, 2016 by zalo

[zalo]

Fox8 updating the Triad as to all the changes happening in the WFIQ. The overview of what the build out of the IQ will be is quite impressive with upwards of 9,000 employees and thousands of students from multiple colleges & universities. The  Venture Café that is opening up in the next few weeks was specifically mentioned as a game changing part of the equation downtown.

http://myfox8.com/2016/12/27/innovation-quarter-a-game-changer-for-winston-salem/

Edited December 31, 2016 by zalo

[zalo]

A very interesting article about Wake Forest's partner in the development of the IQ. An exciting part of the article is the mention of the next step for the district:

Wexford and Wake Forest—which currently controls 130 acres of land in Winston-Salem—are now huddling about their next redevelopment project: the creation of a second downtown on 45 acres between two highways that, if realized, would double the size of the Innovation Quarter.

Tomlinson calls Wexford “an amazing partner” with which Wake Forest “is joined at the hip” in development, design, and construction meetings that concern the Quarter. “They have been willing to share success factors with us, and we are now part of a pantheon of 13 innovation centers,” says Tomlinson. “It’s been a complete pleasure working with them.”

https://www.bdcnetwork.com/movers-shapers-innovation-superchargers

[KJHburg]

This is a great renovation and mixed use complex and hope it continues to grow. Right south of here along Research Blvd what is planned on all that vacant land at the corner of US 52 and I-40 Business. 

[jtmonk]

All of the vacant land is part of the Innovation District.  I've seen a conceptual plan for that area but no concrete plans have materialized that I'm aware of.  Now that most of the old factories have been converted we should hopefully see some serious proposals soon.   

[RALNATIVE]

Great redevelopment effort going on in Winston-Salem.

[KJHburg]

Here is the current list of completed projects and elsewhere on the website there are the projects underway like the apartments. http://www.innovationquarter.com/facilities/buildings/

[KJHburg]

New tenants announced for the Bailey Power plant building of Innovation Quarter. https://www.bizjournals.com/triad/news/2017/07/12/semiconductor-firm-among-new-tenants-at-bailey.html?ana=e_ae_set1&s=article_du&ed=2017-07-12&u=oAaDx%2B74FoP4qOJ%2By4AU6dhJPpc&t=1499888656&j=78539271

[KJHburg]

new apartments going up in the Innovation Quarter should be very good for downtown WS to have more residents there.  Today. 

[KJHburg]

Not only does this new addition to the Innovation Quarter look good it has an anchor tenant which is great the Variable ad agency. 

https://www.bizjournals.com/triad/news/2018/10/09/ad-agency-takes-top-two-floors-of-new-bailey-south.html?ana=e_ae_set1&s=article_du&ed=2018-10-09&u=oAaDx%2B74FoP4qOJ%2By4AU6dhJPpc&t=1539118159&j=84304701

[KJHburg]

I love this innovation Quarter project it is a great reuse for the old factories and it keeps growing.  New Link apartments underway.   Today.   Lots of photos but hey I am tourist! I blame all the one way streets and some that were closed I was literally circling the IQ for a few minutes. 

[rancenc]

Continued development in this quarter of the downtown area.

https://www.bizjournals.com/triad/news/2019/06/24/triangle-hair-care-startup-doubles-lab-space-in.html?iana=hpmvp_triad_news_headline

[cityboi]

On 12/4/2018 at 6:41 PM, KJHburg said:

I love this innovation Quarter project it is a great reuse for the old factories and it keeps growing.  New Link apartments underway.   Today.   Lots of photos but hey I am tourist! I blame all the one way streets and some that were closed I was literally circling the IQ for a few minutes. 

Nice shots! Very nice development going up 

[nicholas]

A few pics from last week.

[Genesis704]

Awesome!!! I love IQ area

[KJHburg]

I have often said if you combined downtown Winston with Greensboro you would have one the best downtowns in the state. I like the momentum in both right now. 

[KJHburg]

Great story about the Innovation Quarter and all its growth and what's next.  

https://www.journalnow.com/news/local/businesses-research-residential-living-come-together-as-wake-forest-innovation/article_c70b75e4-840e-56e2-9ab9-a135de1f2900.html?fbclid=IwAR2WYkRz5TUgQp-_a2EVeK_kAroEQTF-PuKNBwX2Nx3zztfPR-GypuZvt2k

[KJHburg]

Love this area and how it reuses this old factories and warehouses mixed in with new construction and the great jobs it is bringing with it.   New Link apartments seem to be close to completion. 

Edited July 29, 2019 by KJHburg

[KJHburg]

what the future phases of the Innovation Quarter could look like hint taller buildings than what is there now.  from the Biz Journal

https://www.bizjournals.com/triad/news/2020/01/03/15-storylines-to-watch-in-the-20s-wake-forest.html

[KJHburg]

Now just known as Innovation Quarter even though Wake Forest is a major reason for its success.

https://www.bizjournals.com/triad/news/2020/02/13/wake-forest-innovation-quarter-gets-a-new-name.html?iana=hpmvp_triad_news_headline