New Co-Working Space Created for Entrepreneurs & Artists Launches in Downtown Durham

Durham, NC – A co-working community for a diverse group of entrepreneurs, innovators, and artists who are passionate about building a progressive and equitable workplace has arrived in Durham.

Provident1898 is founded on a shared history and local ownership, and state and city officials, as well as local community members gathered on April 18 to celebrate the opening of its first phase of construction.

Spanning 15,000 square feet, Provident1898 features shared workspace that includes hot desks, dedicated desks, dedicated suites, conference rooms, phone booths, and a lounge. Various events such as panel sessions, launch parties, creative brainstorming sessions, and artistic conversations can also be hosted in the space.

Currently, hot desks, dedicated desks, and dedicated office suites are available for leasing. The final phase will launch by the end of 2019, adding more dedicated offices, meeting rooms, hot desks, as well as studios and a small business retail space. For more information or to schedule a tour, visit Provident1898.com.

Special guests Governor Roy Cooper and Mayor Steve Schewel honored both the proud history of Durham and next generation of entrepreneurs at this invitation-only event.

“Supporting diversity in business is critical to building a North Carolina that truly works for everybody,” Governor Roy Cooper said. “By incubating startups led by diverse entrepreneurs, Provident1898 is taking an important step forward.”

“Provident1898 launching in the heart of Downtown Durham during our city’s 150th celebration is a momentous occasion,” said Mayor Steve Schewel. “Entrepreneurship and the arts are two key areas our city is nationally known for. Provident1898 will undoubtedly serve as a hub for future business leaders and innovators who will influence our city’s next 150 years. Also, Provident’s celebration of inclusivity and diversity in identity and background is what our city needs as we build a stronger, more equitable community.”

Located on the historic grounds of the NC Mutual Life Insurance Company, in the Tower at Mutual Plaza, Provident1898 is inspired by Durham’s legacy of Black entrepreneurship and business success. Its co-founders, Carl Webb and Peter Cvelich, have a combined 17 years of experience redeveloping historic downtown Durham buildings that tell the story of the city’s entrepreneurial roots and racial diversity.

“Provident1898 is a multi-industry co-working community that aims to elevate culture and diversity,” said Webb, who is also the founder/CEO of Forty/AM, a community development and advisory firm. “Designed by entrepreneurs and artists, Provident1898 welcomes communities that are underrepresented within mainstream coworking brands. My hope is that this space will be an incubator for individuals to continue building upon the legacy of great business success that inspires us, and to blaze trails for generations to come.”

The first phase of Provident1898 is anchored by members from technology, the arts, and advocacy sectors.

The Beautiful Project is a collective of image makers that use photography, writing and care to create spaces for Black women and girls to confront the mass misunderstanding, misrepresentation and misuse of our likeness in the media and in the world at large. WhatCounts is an email marketing and personalization platform that helps clients deliver the most impactful customer communications possible, using data in the right ways, at the right moments, and through the right channels. Other Provident1898 members include The DOME Group, Equality North Carolina, the Durham Public Schools Foundation, and Invictus Group.