Meet Tom Hardie and Kira Gehle of Confluence Small Business Collective

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tom Hardie and Kira Gehle. They share their story with us below:

Tom and Kristin Hardie launched Lafayette’s first coworking space, Confluence Small Business Collective, in 2014. Having worked from home themselves, they understood how isolating and difficult it could be and knew Lafayette needed a community hub for people who shared their work-from-home challenges.

Confluence began in a small, 750 sqft space with one room designated to a handful of work desks and a front area with a lounge and small kitchen space. Within a year, membership outgrew the space and Tom expanded into a larger building behind the original, allowing for new offerings such as dedicated offices, a conference room, and virtual mail plans.

Tom purchased 75 Waneka Parkway in 2018 from a solar energy company. The 8,000 square foot space was renovated to feature private offices, open-plan workspace, meeting rooms, phone booths, and event space, providing a professional establishment for 50+ members from a variety of industries.

The new building allowed Confluence to take the next step in its sustainability goals. The property includes three PV solar arrays, electric hot water heating, and a wind turbine thanks to its previous owners. High-efficiency HVAC equipment, LED lighting, and an EV charging station were installed shortly after ownership transferred to Tom.

Confluence is proud to be a Gold-certified Lafayette Green Business since 2015 and received a letter of recognition from the now governor Jared Polis for its efforts.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As with many small businesses, the pandemic provided one of the greatest challenges Confluence has faced. In 2019, the coworking space was almost at capacity for memberships, with waiting lists for dedicated offices and desks. When March of 2020 hit, we were uncertain about what the future would hold.

We have an incredible community that is supportive of what we have to offer, so for a while, many members continued paying for their memberships even though they were unable to come into work. However, as the months dragged on, many had to terminate their membership due to the financial strain and uncertainty of the times.

We did our best to keep our community safe, providing disinfectant for every desk, following county guidelines, and, with funding from the City of Lafayette Small Business Sustainment Grant, purchased air purifiers for the upper level. With input from our members, we applied to be a verified vaccinated facility through Boulder County, requiring everyone who came through our doors to show proof of vaccination.

Our membership has been growing once again since restrictions have lifted and more people have found themselves working remotely or in a hybrid situation. While we’re not quite back to our pre-pandemic numbers, we foresee coworking being even more important than ever and are excited about what the coming years will bring.

We’ve been impressed with Confluence Small Business Collective, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Our combined focus on member experience and broader community engagement makes us unique. Our authenticity is felt by everyone who comes through the door.

We curate a workspace where freelancers, remote workers, nonprofits, and small businesses can work comfortably and productively, freeing up their home to be a place of relaxation and family time. We do what we do because we get joy out of  fostering connections between people, so that they might develop into partnerships and friendships.

We’re also proud of the investment we’ve made in our local community, which is proving to be a great complement to the shared-office. Our growth has allowed us to become a hub for a broader population.

Many organizations utilize our flexible gathering space during afternoons, evenings, and weekends for a variety of great purposes. From after-school music lessons, to nonprofit and coalition board meetings, to all-ages live music shows, it’s an honor to host and support the opportunities other leaders in Lafayette are working to provide for the community.

Rounded out with private dance parties, showers, team banquets, and workshops, no other facility in Lafayette offers our unique combination of space and services.

Whether you come to Confluence for the shared office amenities or for any number of community happenings, being here is about creating connections.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
We have an interesting mix of members at Confluence from a wide range of backgrounds. Our membership has included small business lawyers, remote project managers, software engineers, designers, energy traders, writers, a computer repair company, and so many more.

Confluence has also housed a non-profit focused on connecting kids with nature (Thorne Nature), an anti-human trafficking organization that supports survivors (Reintegra), and a satellite office of Boulder County Public Health.

Besides providing workspace, we host events to provide a relaxed opportunity for members to get to know one another and connect. We’ve hosted breakfast events, local food trucks for lunch, happy hours, new year celebrations at an arcade, and BBQs.

Confluence also has a book club that meets once a month to discuss bestsellers, young adult fiction, biographies, and everything in between.

Pricing:

• Event Space rental: $75/hr, $450/day
• Flex Pass: starting at $130/month
• Dedicated Desk: starting at $275/month
• Private Office: starting at $650/month
• Meeting Room rental: $20/hr or $100/day

Contact Info:

• Website: www.confluencesbc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/confluence_sbc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConfluenceSBC/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ConfluenceSBC
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/confluence-sbc-lafayette 

Image Credits
Josh Cook – www.joshloveslight.com Tier Two Live – https://tiertwolive.com (6th photo of a Tier Two Live show)