“As the horrendous Black Beast lunged forward, escape for Arthur and his knights seemed hopeless – when suddenly, the Animator suffered a fatal heart attack. The cartoon peril was no more.”
- Monty Python and the Holy Grail
If there’s one thing we can learn from Terry Gilliam, it’s that being an Animator is dangerous work. Thankfully here at the coLab we’ve outlawed Deus ex machina, which means our Animators don’t have to fear being struck down by authorial intrusions in the middle of their shifts.
coLab’s recently launched Animator program already has its first set of participants, and we’re very excited to see what each of these amazing people will contribute to our community.
But what exactly is this new initiative, and how does it work? Here’s what you need to know.
The Animator Program: Serving the Community with Hands-On Support
The Animating Team actively supports the Okanagan coLab by assisting with day-to-day management of the space, providing programmatic support, and identifying educational, inspirational and networking opportunities to share with the community. Our Animators make members and guests feel special, connected, and armed with the resources they need to operate in a focused, productive work environment.
(In other words, our Animators are the Mr. Miyagi to our members’ Daniel-san. They remind our members to never lose to fear, to trust the quality of what we know, and to always be kicking ass.)
A team of 5 individual Animators each commit 9 hours per week to support the coLab community. While on-shift, the #1 priority of an Animator is to provide a positive, welcoming, functional environment for our members and guests.
Our Animators will serve as front desk concierges, tour guides, inventory managers, and more. The Animator role is a flexible one, and Animators may end up doing things like providing support for member events, keeping the space tidy, answering questions from new members, and keeping our members caffeinated & well-fed by making coffee and setting out snacks throughout the day.
The Perks: Special Benefits for coLab Animators
In exchange for all of this practical support, coLab’s Animators will receive a ton of free stuff.
For every completed 4-month commitment, each Animator will receive:
- FREE coworking! 6 months of unlimited coworking, with 24/7 access to the building. ($2,100 value!)
- Preferred pricing on rentals! Access to Full-Time member pricing on all conference rooms and event spaces throughout the duration of the membership.
- Personalized introductions to entrepreneurial badasses! Curated, thoughtful introductions to the movers and shakers in the Kelowna entrepreneurial and startup community when requested.
- Street cred! References from core team members to put on your resume going forward.
- Networking opportunities! Access to interest groups and networking opportunities within the coLab membership.
Meet Our Animators! Introducing: coLab’s First Animator Cohort
Our first group of Animators is already hard at work making the coLab an even more awesome place to be, and we couldn’t be happier to have them on board. If you happen to see any of these shiny, happy people around the space, be sure to give them a fist-bump and a friendly hello.
Listed alphabetically by last name, our new Animators are:
Agustin Cisneros is a 20-year-old entrepreneur and digital marketer who is passionate about creating a meaningful impact in the community. To Agustin, community means acceptance and respect for all different kinds of people, no matter their race, color, gender, or age. Agustin’s goals in his term as Animator are to make his first sale in his business and to be part of the entrepreneurship world in a more significant way.
Darcy Drobena believes that community is all about connection and developing rapport with each of the coLab members. He aims to help coLabbers connect with other members, should there be a natural fit. He’s currently in start-up mode for a management consultancy that helps organizations align their ideals and experience to create operational gains while interfacing more deeply with the community.
Sarah Lauze is a writer, editor and photographer who loves people and their stories. Everything she does, she does with discipline and enthusiasm. (Plus, she has a strong GIF game.)
Sophie Sullivan is a 19-year-old entrepreneur and digital marketer by day. Gym enthusiast, cat lover and taco eater by night. You can find her at the intersection of events, marketing, technology, and startups.
Janice Ip is a recent UBC gradate ready to set her mark as an entrepreneur with passion, hard work and humour.
Davron Mardonov recently graduated from high school and has been accepted into the UBC Okanagan Business Management program.
Welcome to our new Animators! And if you happen to be in the coLab & have questions, concerns, or problems, one of these wonderful coLabbers would love to assist you – with much rejoicing, of course.
