Weekly event downtown draws "co-workers"

by Jen O'Callaghan, correspondent

Nashua’s Studio 99 has added a new item to its menu of concerts, piano karaoke and musical jams. From 10 a.m.-4 p.m. every Friday, the Main Street music source now offers a weekly Jelly.

Photo by Jodie Andruskevich ~ Bryan Thomas, left, a music therapist, exchanges ideas about his website with Bob Pope, a member of the Monadnock Bluegrass Band, at a meeting of "Jelly" at Studio 99 in downtown Nashua --- an event where people who work from home can gather with others for a day to collaborate and bounce ideas off each other. The event is part of a national trend.A Jelly is a casual “co-working” session that offers freelancers, telecommuters and even job seekers the opportunity to come together and work for the day. Jelly founders Amit Gupta and Luke Crawford started it in New York City in February 2006, with an eye toward recreating some of the camaraderie and brainstorming opportunities they missed while working from home.

Studio 99, like other Jelly venues across the country and globe, provides a few basic amenities, including Wi-Fi access, work tables and electricity and heat. Perhaps, the biggest draw is the opportunity to engage with other people – whether it be to bounce ideas off someone else, exchange services or simply indulge in a bit of watercooler chat. A wiki (wiki.workatjelly.com) gives the lowdown on how to facilitate or host a Jelly.

“In order to call it a Jelly, you have to agree to fulfill certain minimum requirements,” explains Studio 99 owner Elise MacDonald. “You must offer a place where people feel like mixing up their working routine a little bit.” About a block from downtown Nashua’s restaurant and pubs and in a new fully handicapped- accessible facility, Studio 99 offers a river view, as well as coffee, soft drinks and snacks for purchase. MacDonald likened the atmosphere of the first two Jelly events to a study session in the library at a college or university.

Photo by Jodie Andruskevich ~ A group of business owners who work from home gather together at Studio 99 in downtown Nashua to collaborate and exchange ideas in what has become known as a national trend: "Jelly".“You’re getting work done and you’re bouncing ideas off of people. If you have an idea you want to float past people, you can do it right then and there.”

That’s not to say it is for everyone. A pair of writers who attended the second Jelly politely excused themselves after a few hours, looking for a quieter environment. But MacDonald said the lively environment has been a welcome break for most of the people who have stopped by. “You’re slipping the script on your regular work routine, and you come out of the day really energized.”

Lisa Greenleaf, of Nashua, a graphic designer, illustrator and book designer for Greenleaf Design Studio, has attended both Jelly events. A regular attendee of the Studio 99 musical events, Greenleaf was intrigued by the announcement on the venue’s Web site. “I work for myself so I don’t have a lot of chit-chat in my office,” Greenleaf said. “It feels good to me to go because I work out of my home, and I pretty much work every single day. It was nice to get out of my office and have another environment to go to.”

Greenleaf plans to continue attending, bringing along mundane work and organizational tasks that she can do on her laptop. In addition to the atmosphere, Greenleaf says the opportunity to network was an added plus. At the most recent Jelly, she met a massage therapist. Greenleaf, who also does energy and Reiki work, exchanged business cards with the woman. “I didn’t expect that at all,” she says. Although Greenleaf has tried working from local coffee shops and the library, she enjoyed the fact that the people who were coming to the Jelly events were expecting some interaction and collaboration. “When you’re at home, you don’t have anyone to do that with,” Greenleaf says. “I just think that you need to have some stimulation. It reboots your energy, and it boosts your whole outlook on what you’re working on.”

Bob Pope, of Nashua, a bluegrass musician and an associate director of Studio 99, said he came to the Jelly to get out and meet new people. “It’s a really relaxed atmosphere, and it’s just nice to interact with folks who are alive instead of just over the computer,” said Pope. He is technically retired but leads a variety of music jams and open-mic performances for Studio 99 and The Loft at the Grange above the Brookline Village Store. “It’s educational and fun at the same time. It keeps me busy and it keeps me off the streets,” he said, laughing.

The Jelly offers MacDonald an opportunity to help Greater Nashua become more familiar with Studio 99 and its programming. Because her immediate downstairs neighbors are attorneys and accountants, music before 6 p.m. is not an option. “It occurred to me that there’s no reason we can’t have people in this space during the day, collaborating and hanging out,” she said. Although she warns that she is not an expert in co-working, she has been interested in the concept for some time. More formal co-working spaces often require participants to buy a membership and sign up for different times to work at a central location that offers desk space, access to a fax and Internet access. “It’s almost like a time-share office,” she explains. “You share resources, and it’s much more structured.”

Co-working facilities are also available at Archimedes Space, which shares an office with the nonprofit Float Left Labs on Dubuque Street in Manchester (floatleftlabs.org). Different levels of membership provide access to desks, printers, Wi-Fi, a kitchen and conference room, as well as invitations to participate in a weekly lunch and learn. Participants also mentor the students of Float Left Labs. MacDonald says she prefers the lower-key style of the Jelly because the one-day-a-week commitment to host really suits her schedule. She has enjoyed watching participants meet and make connections with each other. “It’s totally fun and by the end of the day, it feels like you’ve got partners in crime.”