Today we’d like to introduce you to Nick Smoot.
Hi Nick, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
It all started a few years ago. After I had spent 8 years building three different startups and spending my time bouncing around SF, Philly, LA, NYC, and Seattle I returned home, to Coeur d’Alene. Within months of being back in town, I realized all the pieces were in place to shape the town into a start-up city, but it just needed an alignment.
After a few meetings, I started The Innovation Collective.
Now almost eight years later, we have seen more magic than I can even comprehend. Startups popping up, executives from the largest tech companies in the world flying into the town, and a city re-energized around exponential technology. It has rapidly gone from my crazy idea to now a city that is together building the dream.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not at all! We’ve been working on scaling this model so that we can bring innovation economies to places all over the world. But, just as we started to scale this into a few different places, COVID hit. So, we were getting our feet wet in new places, and then the world stopped.
So much of our model requires in-person collaboration. We want to see people together, sharing ideas, sharing spaces, hanging out… and when we can’t do that, there is a huge human challenge and disconnect. It was a real challenge to navigate, but we’re thrilled that we can safely be in person and build community again.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Since 2015, we’ve worked with people from all walks of life to find the power to change their lives, their communities, and the world. We do this in overlooked places that we transform into creative spaces. We are a growing community that gathers to learn from experts, support and challenge each other, and build a better tomorrow.
We host events that allow people to build their support tribe to share ideas, collaborate, and support one another. From Fireside Chats to Local Experts, we help community members and entrepreneurs grow into what they want to become. We offer growth pathways to help members with human flourishing, from book clubs to skill development.
We offer a co-working place that we call a Den. The Den is designed to be the third place… a place intended to be a space where people feel comfortable working, playing, collaborating, hanging out, and growing. We share stories to inspire members to grow. We bring in mentors from companies all over the country to guide our members to grow. We want to see members thrive, grow, and become something they always wanted to be.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Be sure to help others, be curious, and always be bold. You never know who you may meet.
If you are chatting with someone next to you at an Innovation Collective event, ask questions about them and then also ask who else you should know. Allow your curiosity to partner with theirs and use it to build an amazing community that is helping each person build the tomorrow they want.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.innovationcollective.co
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/innovationcollective
