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OfficePort founder Jolles finds home, hotbed of creativity in Kansas City

katie — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:57:21 +0000

‘Shaul Jolles loves Kansas City. And it shows. . . He knew where he wanted to be: the Crossroads Art District near downtown Kansas City, Mo. The Crossroads is well-known within the Kansas City area as a unique corner of downtown full of boutiques, local restaurants and most of all, a plethora of art galleries. But less than a decade ago, it wasn’t nearly as polished as it is today.

So what attracted Jolles to the Crossroads? “The creative people,” he said.

“It had this complete set of characters that were a lot like me, a bunch of rebels,” Jolles said, smiling. “I also loved the architecture. I loved what all of these buildings looked like. I saw the potential.”

Jolles began purchasing, renovating, and brokering many of the run-down warehouses in the area. He became so passionate about the Crossroads community that he even served as president of the Crossroads Community Association.

That passion for community is what, in 2008, led Jolles to pitch his real estate business partner, Mike Edmondson, on a different type of project — coworking. OfficePort, a coworking space in the Crossroads District, was born.

In an area where most of the commercial spaces averaged 5,000 square feet, Jolles routinely received calls from small businesses requesting small spaces and had nothing to offer them. He saw one-person companies, banking on strong future growth, taking up pricey and risky contracts for office space. “The overhead,” Jolles explained, “would kill them in a year.”‘

- Excerpt from Annie Sorensen’s most recent article on Shaul Jolles, co-founder of OfficePort, and OfficePort Kansas City. For the full article visit siliconprairienews.com.

OfficePort Featured on SiliconPrairieNews.com

katie — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:51:25 +0000

Just this past week Annie Sorensen of SiliconPrairieNews.com visited OfficePort to find out a little more about our co-working community of diverse businesses and our mission to provide the most unique of contemporary business needs to small businesses and entrepreneurs throughout Kansas City. To check out the full article click here.

Resolutions – New Works by Rachel Brown

katie — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:20:17 +0000

{resolutions}

The original piece that inspired this series was created out of a need for a catharsis, or cleansing on my part. I was feeling weighed down by the messiness of my world at that particular point in my life. I had just ended a relationship and started a new one, without a chance to grieve the previous one. I was working in the bar scene, and was scared that it was becoming a part of who I was. I felt as though I was just EXISTING, and not really using my gifts or talents to make any positive contribution to the world. Although everything looked okay from the outside, I was feeling empty. Looking back, I don’t think I ever shared these feelings to anyone around me, but I was feeling pretty disgusted with myself for giving in, yet again, to the worldly pleasures that never fail to seduce me. During this time, I kept hearing the song “Mess of Me” by Switchfoot, playing on the radio. The lyrics spoke to me, and expressed exactly how I was feeling at that time:

I am my own affliction

I am my own disease

There ain´t no cure they could sell

Ah, there ain´t no drug to make me well

There ain´t no drug

It´s not enough

The sickness is myself

I made a mess of me I wanna get back the rest of me

I made a mess of me I wanna spend the rest of my life alive

I made a mess of me I wanna reverse this tragedy

I made a mess of me I wanna spend the rest of my life alive

The rest of my life alive

We lock our souls in cages

We hide inside our shells

It´s hard to free the ones you love

Oh when you can´t forgive yourself

One Tuesday night, I got a shift covered at work, cleared out some space on my living room floor, and went to town on some old canvases I had stored in a closet. I hadn’t painted in three years. I blared “Mess of Me” on repeat and regurgitated all of the stuff that had been brewing inside of me onto the canvas. With each stroke and splash, I felt the load getting lighter and lighter. When the canvas was filled (and my apartment deposit successfully depleted- ha!) I stepped back and took in what had poured out of me. It was dark, messy, and yet strangely seductive at the same time. When I woke up the next morning, I felt as though I had been washed clean. I decided to add one final layer. The white paint that is running across the surface and washing over the fiery mess, represents what happens when I cry out and ask God to cleanse my heart. He washes over me, and fills me with peace and contentment, time and time again… even when I don’t deserve it. The original painting in this series now hangs in my living room, as a daily reminder of hope and encouragement. Until now, no one has heard the story behind that painting, but for one reason or another, it has always been a favorite. I could never part with this painting, because it serves as a visual Resolution with myself, and a clean slate… a fresh start to life. At the start of January, it is human nature to begin to think about what the upcoming New Year will bring. All of the paintings in this series represent a clean start. An old life that is left behind for something even better. I hope and pray that these paintings will inspire and encourage you on your beautiful, though sometimes messy, life journey.

- Rachel

Co-Founder of OfficePort Receives 2011 Urban Heroes Award

katie — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:03:29 +0000

2011 Downtown KC Urban Heroes

Shaul Jolles grew up in Israel. After getting his Masters from UMKC’s Bloch School, he became a commercial real estate broker focused on adaptive re-use of buildings in the Crossroads Arts District, where he also served as the President of the Crossroads Community Association. A serial entrepreneur and community organizer, Shaul focuses on helping small businesses flourish. He is the co-founder along with Mike Edmondson of OfficePort, an innovative co-location environment with offices in Kansas City and Chicago, and StagePort, a sound stage complex adjacent to it. He initiated the effort that led to KCMO’s winning response in the Google Fiber project and hosted “Kansas City Get Online” seminars by Google.

Downtown KC Seeks Gen Y Cachet, Says Jason Ryan Dorsey

katie — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:27:09 +0000

Jason Ryan Dorsey has got a great gig going as the “Gen Y Guy.” Between the one-liners and wry observations about how baby boomers differ from their offspring, he gave the crowd at last week’s annual Downtown Council luncheon something fun to digest.

“I’m Gen Y. We make $30,000 a year and spend $50,000,” the speaker quipped and then quickly rolled with a montage of stereotypes.

“Imagine Gen Y: It’s our first real job, so we’re probably 27. We’re excited, we’re nervous — we’re late.”

The theme of the downtown business and property owners event was “A Millennial Makeover,” and the focus was on making downtown Kansas City a hipper place to live and work for Gen Y, aka the Millennial Generation.

And it was timely.

Last week a plan to renovate the historic Hanna Rubber building to house a new sports-oriented software firm was approved, its backers saying its Crossroads Arts District location was a plus in recruiting tech-savvy younger workers. And a month ago, DSI, an Overland Park-based software firm, announced it was relocating downtown for the same reason.

• The 2011 Urban Hero Awards went to Christopher Elbow of artisanal chocolate fame; Danny Gosserand of Danny’s Big Easy; August Grasis III of Handmark; Shaul Jolles of OfficePort; Sam Meers, an ad agency owner; Keith Novorr of Michael’s Fine Clothing; Danny O’Neill of The Roasterie; Teri Rogers of T2; Ryan Sciara of Cellar Rat Wine; and Emily Voth of Indigo Wild.