AUSTIN, Texas—(Nov. 1, 2011)—The Austin Young Chamber of Commerce (AYC) will host a ribbon cutting ceremony at Center61’s grand opening on Thursday, Nov. 10 from 6 to 9 pm at the People Fund Building, located at 2921 East 17th Street in Austin, Texas. Center61 is Austin’s co-working community for small-scale non-profits, socially minded entrepreneurs and business professionals. Simply put, Center61 is a physical space where social networking becomes social inter-ACTION for Austin’s nonprofits and social entrepreneurs committed to making an impact on the world. Individuals can RSVP for the grand opening at http://center61.ticketbud.com/grand-opening. Tickets to the grand opening are free, and the event will include beverages and hors d’ouerves.

Given that Austin has over 6,000 nonprofits and is one of the leading hubs for entrepreneurship, Center61 is a perfect addition to the city. The first of its kind, Center61 will provide a community of like-minded people to create a synergistic environment that enables all participants to collectively accomplish more. 

“Center61 was created as a tangible way to serve the greater Austin community through a physical space with first-class amenities for small, up and coming organizations,” said Steve Wanta, CEO and Founder of Center61.

As a co-working community, members have access to essential business facilities to meet their organizations’ day-to-day demands alongside informal areas that redefine the traditional office environment.  The physical space includes a large collaborative work environment, printer, copier, scanner, and fully equipped conference and private meeting rooms. The target market for Center61 is a small, one- to three-person organization that has either outgrown their informal work environments and/or crave a space that offers a positive, collaborative atmosphere. 

“We are thrilled to partner with Center61 for their grand opening,” said Ed Kargbo, President of AYC. “Our membership is ripe with entrepreneurs, start ups and young professionals that could greatly benefit from the services provided by Center61.”

Steve Wanta founded Center61 in June 2011 after more than 2 years of conversations with close friends and colleagues who shared a passion for social entrepreneurship and a desire to create a physical space that could foster and give back to Austin’s community dedicated to creating a better world.

Often times people look to give back to their communities by volunteering or performing other charitable work.  Wanta has actually done the reverse.  As the Executive Program Director for Whole Planet Foundation, Whole Foods Market’s nonprofit, he oversees the foundation’s support of microfinance around the world.  Inspired by the poor living on a dollar a day and the organizations that serve them, he felt the best way to give back to the city Wanta loves was to establish Center61as a business to serve a community of scrappy nonprofits and social entrepreneurs. 

About the Austin Young Chamber of Commerce-

The purpose of the Austin Young Chamber of Commerce (AYC) is to develop and connect young professionals in Austin to create business, community and individual success.

Work hard. Play hard. That’s our motto at the AYC. As young professionals in the Austin area we know that you work hard to develop yourself both personally and professionally. We also know that in a city like Austin there are countless ways to play hard. The AYC is where you can do both with other young professionals in the Austin community.

Find us online:

www.austinyc.org        

www.facebook.com/austinyoungchamber        

http://twitter.com/austinyc

About Center61

Center61 is a new co-working Community in Austin, conveniently located in the beautiful new PeopleFund building that is dedicated to small, 1- to 3-person nonprofits and social entrepreneurs.  The design, pricing, and services have been created by and for Austin’s nonprofit and social entrepreneur community.  Center61 offers opportunities to collaborate with your peers and gain exposure to other idea-shaping events.  Learn more at www.center61.com.   

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 Mentors give one hour every other week to their apprentices to help guide the student on career development, make contacts and network in Austin, and offer work advice and community awareness. The program kicks-off with a launch party and culminates in a graduation ceremony with the apprentices, mentors, local leaders, key stakeholders from the University, and sponsors.

Since 2010, over 75 students have gone through the Apprentice Austin program; this is the largest mentoring program in Central Texas. The industries in this program range from pharmaceutical sales to real estate to ministry. The benefits for student apprentices include an opportunity to build their network, test drive a career through shadowing their mentor, learn the ins and outs of a career and/or industry from a peer in the position, and receive a free annual AYC membership. The benefits for professionals/mentors include connecting with tomorrow’s top talent, helping job seekers skip mistakes and follow steps to success, gain a renewed interest in his or her career and receive a free annual AYC membership.

”We have been so pleased with the response from both the business and college communities in Austin,” says Nathan Green, co-founder of the Austin Young Chamber, and Board Member responsible for the program. “I have had several students tell me how valuable the experience was and how they landed their first job out of college through Apprentice Austin.”

“St. Edward’s University was very proud to participate in the Austin Young Chamber’s Apprentice Austin mentoring program,” said Barbara Henderson, Director of Career Services at St. Edward’s University. “The students were able to make connections through networking and get hands on experience in their related fields of interest. This type of program will prove to be invaluable for the future successes of our students as they begin their careers in the Austin community.”

Due to the success of Apprentice Austin, the Belton Chamber of Commerce has decided to develop a similar version of the program with the blessing of the Austin Young Chamber. Billy Moyer, Vice Chair of the Apprentice Austin program, has helped the Belton Chamber develop the Apprentice Belton program that will begin this fall. Apprentice Belton will team up with the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (UMHB) to give students an opportunity to be mentored by professionals who work in their desired career or industry.

“We have always been committed to developing young talent in Belton, Texas,” Stephanie O’Banion, CEO of the Belton Chamber said. “After hearing about the success of Apprentice Austin, we thought bringing the program to Belton was a perfect fit. We look forward to helping the students of UMHB figure out what they want to do and hopefully we will keep them in the area.” 

Student Testimonials about Apprentice Austin:

“I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Apprentice Austin. I felt honored to be a part of such a great program where mentorship is a top priority and the benefits of the Austin Young Chamber of Commerce are given freely. I learned a great deal from my mentor, Coco Valdez. She gave me further insights into the non-profit sector that I would have never have learned inside a classroom. It was obvious that Coco was a true servant and simply desired to share her passion for her career with others. She didn’t expect anything back and sacrificed her time to meet with me. She truly confirmed my desire to pursue a career in non-profits and especially in the area of programming and event coordinating. I will always remember this experience and will continue to seek mentor relationships wherever my future may lead me.”

Lya Morfit, Apprentice

Concordia University 

“I really enjoyed my experience with Apprentice Austin. I was able to meet new people and to learn different aspects of the career field which I am pursing from the perspective of related fields. My mentor has also been very helpful, motivating me to think about the future. He held me accountable for writing down and actively pursuing my goals while inspiring me by discussing his progress towards his own goals. I’m glad for the opportunity to expand my horizons that Apprentice Austin has provided me.”

Mariel Kerbacher, Apprentice

Southwestern University and the University of Texas

“My experience as a mentor was spectacular. I loved meeting with my apprentice, Rachel every other week. We developed a very strong relationship and we continue to talk today. I have had many mentors in my life and Apprentice Austin gave me an opportunity to give back by being a mentor myself. It turns out that I probably learned more from Rachel than she did from me!” 

Amber Fogarty, Mentor

Chief Marketing Officer, SOS Leadership Institute

Adjunct Professor at St. Edward’s University

AYC is grateful to their event partners: Alamo Drafthouse, Art of Fifth, Austin Film Festival, Austin Film Society and Sparefoot. Doors open at 6:30 pm and the show starts at 7 pm. Member tickets are $10 and non-member tickets are $15; these can be purchased at www.austinyc.org.

The AYC Imagine Committee provides AYC members the opportunity to connect to the local Austin arts and culture scene. For more information about this committee, contact Macy McBeth, Chair of the Imagine Committee, at macymcbeth@gmail.com.

About the Austin Young Chamber of Commerce-

The purpose of the Austin Young Chamber of Commerce (AYC) is to develop and connect young professionals in Austin to create business, community and individual success.

Work hard. Play hard. That’s our motto at the AYC. As young professionals in the Austin area we know that you work hard to develop yourself both personally and professionally. We also know that in a city like Austin there are countless ways to play hard. The AYC is where you can do both with other young professionals in the Austin community.

Find us online:

www.austinyc.org         www.facebook.com/austinyoungchamber        http://twitter.com/austinyc

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“We are on the cusp of incredible changes in the way we use, consume, and interact with energy”, said John King, Chair of the Energy and Sustainability Committee. “These changes present incredible economic opportunities for the energy industry, established companies, entrepreneurs, start-ups, students, and young professionals.  We are fortunate to live in a city of technology and creativity and we need to leverage that to continue to attract the innovation that will transform our energy economy.”

On Thursday, Sept. 22, the Energy and Sustainability Committee with host its first event at the Austin Club from 11:30 am to 1 pm featuring speaker Brewster McCracken, former City Councilman and Mayor Pro tem, and current Executive Director of the Pecan Street Project. The Pecan Street Project is an initiative that began in 2008 as a community collaboration to reinvent the energy system.

Jose Beceiro, Director of Clean Energy at The Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, said he is looking forward to working with AYC and the committee to bring greater awareness to the emerging energy industry in Central Texas. “The AYC Energy and Sustainability Committee is a tremendous opportunity for young professionals, energy companies in Central Texas, and the City of Austin. We are at the forefront of a New Energy Economy and it is important to have all of our citizens, especially future leaders, educated and involved on these issues.”

For more details about the committee, or to join, email Melanie Plumber, Executive Director of the Young Chamber, melanie@austinyoungchamber.org, or John King, john@focusedadvocacy.com.

About the Austin Young Chamber of Commerce-

The purpose of the Austin Young Chamber of Commerce (AYC) is to develop and connect young professionals in Austin to create business, community and individual success.

Work hard. Play hard. That’s our motto at the AYC. As young professionals in the Austin area we know that you work hard to develop yourself both personally and professionally. We also know that in a city like Austin there are countless ways to play hard. The AYC is where you can do both with other young professionals in the Austin community.

Find us online:

www.austinyc.org

www.facebook.com/austinyoungchamber

http://twitter.com/austinyc

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Name: Meghan Skalak
Company: Eddie V’s Edgewater Grill
Title: Special Events Manager

Why did you join the AYC? To be more involved in the future of Austin business with other motivated young professionals

How did you get to Austin? I came here to attend St. Edwards University in 1996 and never left!

What is your favorite lunch spot? I really love Roaring Fork Stonelake when up north and Doc’s Motorworks when I’m downtown.

If you could have any super power what would it be, and what would you use it for? I think it would be to breath under water. I would escape the grind any chance I got by exploring the peaceful and beautiful world under the sea.

If you could have any celebrity live next door to you who would it be? Good one… I’d have to say Parker Posey. She’s a riot and seems so down to earth.

What are your top 3 things to do or see in Austin? 1. I love a good sporting event with my son Jack who’s almost 4, Round Rock Express in the Summer and Texas Stars Hockey in the Fall. 2. Any watering hole that actually has water. 3. I’d have to say an outdoor festival in the Fall; October is my favorite month is Austin.

If you played hooky for a day, where would we find you? Adventuring with
My kiddo Jack for sure!!!!

When people ask you what you do for a living, what do you tell them? I’m a party planner!! And a Mom of course.

What do you think the best invention is in the past 50 years? DVR… when I actually get a chance to sit down and enjoy a show, it’s right there waiting for me!

Who was your first Facebook friend? My girlfriend Evania, she actually set up my profile and started adding friends then sent it over to me saying “it was about time”

If you couldn’t live in Austin, where would you want to live? If I ever had to move from Austin it would have to be to be closer to family in Houston. Not my city of choice, but it’s all about Jack!!

How do you give back?
I sit on a committee each year for a local non profit’s fundraiser. I was included with Any Baby Can’s Rockin Roundup for 6 years before helping host The Texas Council on Family Violence’s Honoring Women in our Lives Luncheon. I am currently heading up the Silent Auction for the AYC FAVE Awards and look forward to finding my next non profit to partner with in the Spring.

Read more at:
http://thisislifeinaustin.com/2010/03/25/tie-one-on/