When I read about this idea, it hit me over the head because I’ve experienced its benefits first-hand. You get a bunch of entrepreneurial types together in a workspace. You let them work. And magic happens.

This is exactly what happened at Startup Weekends across the country just three weeks ago (I attended Startup Weekend Los Angeles).  The program started on a Friday night, and ended on a Sunday evening.  I left the program with plans to continue work on a social enterprise – entitled YouImpact.us - that brings the technologies of crowdsourcing and social networks to the world of volunteering and philanthropy in a new, simple way.  All that happened in only 48 hours.

So now – imagine what would happen if you created a workspace where entrepreneurial types of all types could work together in a full-time capacity?  This wouldn’t be a space rented for 48 hours, but would be rather rentable-time.  Think clusters of computers and laptops.  Free coffee, bagels, and wi-fi.  And social entrepreneurs buzzing all about with ideas and hard at work.

I’m reminded of those late-night sessions in the Fishbowl back at the University of Michigan.  There would be a cluster of us and we’d be working on some hair-brained scheme to get rich – back then it was omelets and snack-food.  But the point is, once a person leaves college they don’t have a space like this where it’s natural to have collaboration and an exchange of ideas.  That is, unless they’re in a workplace or they pay for an event like Startup Weekend.

I understand that business incubators exist.  But I’m referring to a simple, open space with desks, computers, even laptops available, that would allow let’s say 50 entrepreneurs (I would hope social entrepreneurs) to work in that space and get things done.

If the new economy is truly all about the individual and their power to generate change, then we’re going to have to provide environments that can catalyze their best efforts.  We’re going to have to provide environments that encourage and foster innovation.

An open-space hub would be just the place.  If it existed, I’d be there right now.

EDIT:  This idea has been manifested, and it’s worldwide.  Amazing.  It’s called The Hub, and you can check them out at http://the-hub.net.  Problem is – they’re only in 3 cities in North America.  The Bay Area, CA, Toronto, Canada, and Halifax.  I for one would be in attendance at a Hub space in Los Angeles (Santa Monica would be perfect).  But every major city should have something like this.  Manhattan, Detroit, Chicago, Portland, Boulder, Ann Arbor, Miami, Washington, DC – a Hub would be more than a natural fit.

Credit for this idea goes to this post from the Ayllu Initiative.  http://aylluinitiative.wordpress.com/2009/12/10/the-story-of-our-1st-funder/  Ayllu is an organization helping social entrepreneurs in Brazil, and their description of the Sao Paolo Hub for social entrepreneurs sounded just like what I described.  It makes amazing sense.  And we should either a) get our municipalities to fund this or b) make it a private sector business.  Either way – let’s get it done.  Innovation and collaboration is just waiting for a space like this.