HADLEY — While running her photography business from home in Springfield, Tani Dugger discovered over the past two years the numerous distractions from being the single mother of a toddler.
So when Dugger found out about the new co-working space Cultivate and Nest in Hadley, she jumped at the chance to to be at a place where she could focus on her occupation, while her 2-year-old daughter played and learned.
“Now I can actively get my work done while she gets entertained for two hours,” said Dugger, who owns Insight Photography. “And she’s being entertained by not watching television. I’m a huge fan of that.”
Though she has an office where she meets with clients, Dugger also has the opportunity to interact with other members of the co-working space. “I’ve made many connections by being here that I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise,” Dugger said.
With the growing popularity of co-working sites throughout the Pioneer Valley, Cultivate and Nest is believed to be the first in the region that provides child care for parents with children from birth through age 6, said Terra Missildine, who founded the business in February. It caters to what she calls “parent-preneurs.”
“We’re the only one that offers supervised play space as an amenity,” Missildine said.
Located at 2 Bay Road in the Hadley Crossing business park, Cultivate and Nest has about two dozen members, mostly parents, with enough room for around 70.
Missildine said the members include freelance writers, medical billers, nonprofit managers, graphic designers and massage therapists, each of whom pay between $100 and $600 a month, depending on the level of service they need. Those like Dugger who need private offices pay more, while those who use common areas pay less.
Missildine, 34, said the idea to create the space came from her own experience of being a busy entrepreneur, continuing to run her 10-year-old, green cleaning business Beloved Earth, but faced with raising a now 2½-year-old child.
“I didn’t know how I would continue all this as a full-time parent,” said Missildine, who lives in Agawam.
Her experience was similar to other business-oriented parents with young children.
“I found that a lot of people felt really isolated and really had to strike a balance between being a parent and running a business,” Missildine said.
Co-working is driven by the need for people to have access to high-speed internet, printers, coffee and a kitchen – but not be stuck in their homes all day, she said.
“It is the new way to work,” Missildine said. “It’s the home office away from home.”
Currently, Cultivate and Nest has four staff members, with the space open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., as well as after hours for scheduled events.
The 3,400-square-foot site is divided into two parts. On one side is a co-working room for about 15 people, a conference room that can hold 10 to 12 people, two private rooms for members and their clients,and the kitchen.
The other side has the play space, where games and materials are available for children and they are led through activities – such as making paper “flower bouquets” using cutouts of their handprints for Mother’s Day – by a licensed day-care teacher and a former teacher who specialized in Waldorf education.
Missildine refers to this as “amenitized” child care, not a drop-in day care center, because parents have to remain on site the entire time their child is in the play space.
Next to the play room is an open area that can seat more than 60 people for workshops, networking events and organized meet-ups.
Working from a laptop in the co-working room one recent morning, Jennifer Dann of Easthampton said her profession has included collecting information for children with autism and their families. But having a toddler has made doing this work at home impossible.
“This was a real blessing,” Dann said of Cultivate and Nest, adding that she feels more connected to her child while using the space about 20 hours per week.
“I do a lot of the data analysis and a lot of things that need my focus,” Dann said. “I’m very grateful for this space; this as an alternative has been fantastic.”
One of the treatment rooms is used by Lydia Sivel-Irons, who is the administrative assistant and events coordinator for the business, and also does massage therapy as The Flexible Farmer.
“When it’s really busy here, it’s like a coffee shop,” Sivel-Irons said, pointing to the people using their laptops and headphones.
Sivel-Irons downsized her business from three employees to one employee when Wren, who is now 14 months, was born, and moved her business to Cultivate and Nest when it opened.
“There was no way I could this without Cultivate,” Sivel-Irons said. “This is a space to work and know your kid is in a cool environment with other babies.”
The success of those using the space for entrepreneurship was recently demonstrated by four members who earned “Accelerator” awards from Valley Venture Mentors, which helps start-ups.
They include Marcie Muehlke, who operates Celia Grace Fair Trade Wedding Dresses, earning a $50,000 grand prize, and Amy Love of Homebody Holistics, who earned a second prize for $45,000. Missildine earned a $1,000 prize, as did Roxy Laurel of Simple Diaper.
Missildine said in an email that this shows that Cultivate and Nest is empowering to parents and preserving family values, and she is proud of what those who use the co-working space have accomplished.
“I think the participation in the Accelerator shows that parent entrepreneurs are totally capable of doing inspiring things in business while simultaneously being amazing parents,” Missildine said. “I think this is especially true when they feel surrounded and supported by a community of other folks who are devoted parents, and also unapologetic about going after their entrepreneurial dreams.”
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
