Creative Density will be offering classes by top-notch and vetted instructors in the areas of design, business, and technology. Under the banner of Creative Density University (CDU) the courses are carefully selected to help modern professionals become well-rounded team members that have to wear many hats as an independent or working in a creative agency. The new course offerings is an important addition to Creative Density’s goal of becoming a hub of ideas for Denver with coworking during the day and inspiring courses in the evening.

Affordable and Accessible
In designing CDU we wanted to make it affordable and accessible to as many people as possible while being able to attract quality instructors. After many conversations with professors, lawyers, and successful entrepreneurs we designed a model [blockquote align="right"]Designed to be affordable while attracting quality instructors.[/blockquote]

based around simplicity called 30/90. For only $30 and in 90 minutes a student will be in an intimate classroom of 15 or less and learn a skill ranging from CSS to project management.  This will allow for busy professionals to take the courses without disrupting their work or family life at an affordable price point.

Quality Instructors
Everyone is not an expert. We all have learned this by going to Meetups that are inconsistent in quality or going to presentations that end being a sales pitch. All of CDU’s instructors are vetted and admired individuals in their field. At launch the courses will be taught by CU-Boulder professors of entrepreneurship, lawyers, members of Automattic (creators of WordPress), and local entrepreneurs that have proven their skill in the competitive marketplace. The quality of the instructors that have aligned with CDU is one of the most exciting parts about this launch and have set a very high bar for future classes.

It all starts on May 8th.
On May 8th we are launching with a very popular topic and intelligent instructor, Designing for WordPress by Kevin Conboy. In the following weeks students will be able to learn about SEO at an advanced and intermediate level, trends in UX design, the legal landscape of starting a business, how to pitch to investors, and about understanding the sales process.  Throughout the summer more classes will be added and longer form of classes will be experimented based on feedback from the students and the Denver community.

We are very excited and looking forward to working with all of the startups, freelancers, and businesses in Denver to make Creative Density the hub of ideas that we envisioned one year. The launch of Creative Density Univeristy is a big step and we look forward to meeting you at one of the upcoming courses.

If you have any questions about CDU, would like to purchase bulk team credits for your business, or have a topic suggestion please contact Craig.

[info_box_1 title="May Classes"]
May 8th: Designing for WordPress
May 10: SEO: Beyond the Basics
May 15: What’s Hot Now: Top 5 trends in UX Design
May 16: Content Marketing Strategy
May 17: Law for Small Businesses
May 22: Perfecting the Pitch: What Every Investor Wants to See
May 24: CSS Frameworking
May 29: How to Really Use LinkedIn
May 31:Creativity in the Workspace
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Coworking Space Ship lands in Denver

Mini-conference explores booming global coworking movement

Denver, (March 5, 2012) –Not long ago, the word “coworking” was still unknown to most people. Today it needs little explanation. That’s because the number of coworking spaces around the world has exploded, attracting tens of thousands of independent workers who are looking for a collaborative place to do their jobs.

The dramatic growth of the coworking movement worldwide will be the topic of discussion at a mini-conference in Denver on March 13. The mini-conference, called the Coworking Space Ship, is organized by the coworking websites Deskwanted and Deskmag, along with the Creative Density, a dynamic Denver collaborative workspace.

The evening will feature talks from experts on the global collaborative work scene, as well as discussion about exciting developments within Colorado’s independent work movement, including a panel discussion with Craig Baute of Creative Density, John Wilker of Uncubed, Jennie Nevin of Green Spaces, and Jeff Donaldson of Scrib.

The coworking movement has been developing rapidly across the planet. The number of coworking spaces has been doubling worldwide since 2005, reaching 1300 last month, according to Deskmag’s Global Coworking Survey. Part of the driving force is no doubt the over 300,000,000 mobile workers worldwide, according to Foresster Research.

Carsten Foertsch, co-founder of Dskmag & Deskwanted will lead talks at the event, including an in-depth analysis of the Global Coworking Survey, the biggest and most detailed study of the trend. The survey contains lots of interesting facts about coworkers. For example, the survey found 38% of coworkers increase their income and 83% increase their productivity simply by moving from an isolated home office to a collaborative environment.

As well as global coworking issues, the event will consider issues important to the vibrant Denver collaborative work scene. Creative Density and other spaces would like to strengthen the local collaborative community by encouraging more interaction between the different coworking spaces. This event will be held in an unconference style, to ensure that all voices have a chance to be heard equally.

“It’s exciting that the number of coworkers in Denver has doubled in the past year. Coworking is changing the way people work by building a community of inspiration and support for Denver’s entrepreneurs and remote workers. It is one of many elements making Denver a vibrant place for entrepreneurs.”  Craig Baute of Creative Density

Denver is just one of ten cities that will be visited by the Coworking Space Ship, which is a traveling roadshow moving across the country.

“Deskwanted and Deskmag are absolutely ecstatic about the Coworking Space Ship tour. The energy behind the coworking movement is palpable. We are glad to be able to facilitate these meet-ups and support growth in collaborative working where we can.” said Julianne Becker, Deskmag/Deskwanted Community Manager.

The event is a chance to meet up with coworking enthusiasts and connect with the coworking community in Colorado. Attendance is free, but registration is required via  http://coworkingtour.com/index.php/cities/denver/.

Notes to the editor:

The Coworking Space Ship is being organized by Deskwanted, an online portal for collaborative workspaces worldwide. Deskwanted also produces Deskmag, the leading online news source about coworking. Both websites are based in Berlin, Germany, one of the world’s leading hubs of coworking.

Event: Coworking Space Ship (mini-conference, meet-up)

Date:  Tuesday 13 March, 7-10pm

Programme: 7-9pm presentations and unconference 9-10pm drinks

Venue: Creative Density, 1719 Emerson St., Denver, CO 80218

Cost: Free with registration

Registration: www.coworkingtour.com

Contact:

Julianne Becker
Community Manager, Deskwanted and Deskmag
+49 (0)157 847 995 42
julianne@deskwanted.com

Craig Baute
Creative Density
720-295-1798
Craig@densitycoworking.com

Creative Density Coworking in Uptown has just launched a New Year Special for the next two weeks. New members can get their Regular Members (12 days/month) for only $100. This is a great deal since it usually cost $175 and would be a great way for a person to start 2012 off right. The deal is brought to you by Denver startup Closely.

View the deal.

The offer expires on Jan. 3rd and must be activated by March 31st.

Coworking is new style of working because it blends the flexibility of working from home with the social and professional benefits of being in a vibrant office. Designers, writers, app developers, and remote workers rotate in and out desks, share tid-bits of information and pass around blog posts. The people make the space alive and the coworking style of flexibility and community-driven make working exciting. The vibrancy and excitement of coworking is created by people being involved and making the space their.

So how do new coworkers get the most out of their new space and the community?

Come on in. Everyone is really nice.
On your first day, and probably the first few visits, it’s always a good idea to introduce yourself, be open to some conversation and be willing to butt-in when you have some special insight on a topic. The community manager at the coworking facility, which is Craig at Creative Density, will help introduce you and start a conversation to make you feel comfortable and prevent awkward silence between strangers huddled behind laptops (everyone is nice and probably that wouldn’t happen).

Share. Everyone doesn’t know everything.
One of the best things about coworking is that there is a group of smart people around to help answer quick questions. If you can’t find a WordPress plug-in, need a beta-tester for an app, want someone to look over some copy than you can probably turn around and ask someone for 10 minutes of their time. Coworking is a community of people with diverse talents that believe we can all nudge each other forward together.

Participate and Host. Everyone has a voice.
Creative Density and many other coworking spaces open their doors for members to host events and to participate. By joining a coworking community means you have a voice in certain events and activities in the space. If there are great events going on that interest you, make sure to go and participate. If you want a hack-a-thon, a show and tell, or a night of group writing than suggest it to the community manager. Coworking spaces are always looking for new ways to let members make the space their own.

The events going on during and after hours are great for getting to know your coworkers since work is not the main focus. You’ll learn about new ideas and skills from your coworkers that may not come up in normal conversation and find new way to collaborate together. Plus, many coworkers love beer and toasting together at an event seems to always bring bring together.

If you are a Creative Density member than talk to Craig about events that may interest you. He’ll work with you to get it going.

Give high-fives! Everyone likes them.
Fact. Do it.

Now you are all set to get the most of coworking. It’s an exciting new way to work and discover the talented people in your neighborhood. Enjoy.How to get the most of your coworking community.

Working from Home Starts Off Great

Being bored and distracted while working from home or the coffee house isn’t isolated to freelancers and startups; rumor has it that telecommuters get it too. Escaping the corporate headquarters’ cube farm and the endless meetings to telecommuting from home sounds like the perfect solution when it first comes up. However, after a few weeks of getting up, making coffee, and then heading over to the spare bedroom to work the distractions of The Ellen Show, the Xbox, and laundry start to fill out your day while work assignments keep piling up. Not to mention the fact you’re only talking to your dog and clients over the phone and not meeting new smart and pretty amazing people during the day. Why isn’t telecommuting as awesome as first imagined?

Be with Friendly People that Aren’t Your Bosses.

At Creative Density, we have telecommuter/remote workers mixed in with freelancers and startups. You might even recognize some of the people from your local coffee shops in the afternoon tapping away at their laptop and dealing with slow Wifi just to get out of the house. Coworking provides the same cafe atmosphere, but with a larger workspace, strong Wifi, a conference room, and…well…people. People to talk to, ask questions of, to brainstorm with, and to have a beer with after a long day of work. You know, people that will become friends and valuable professional connections, friendly people that help you stay focused and motivated while you hammer out a 60 page report.

Coworking: Happy Workers Make Business Happy

Coworking is all about the people. It’s being around people and having people of different skills to ask questions and be motivated by that help workers be more productive and creative. If you run into a problem on Excel or want an opinion on a website design then you can just turn around and ask someone. ‘Coworkers’ learn new skills from each other and can solve daily routine problems quicker by asking for assistance from the people they are working besides compared to being isolated at home and waiting for an email reply from a business colleague. By coworking the worker is better at their job and the managers back at HQ love happy and productive workers. In fact, business often pay for coworking memberships that range from $75 to $350 per month.

So if you are a telecommuter, a traveling business person, or a manager with a sea of remote workers than consider checking out your local coworking space. Creative Density is based in downtown Denver but you can find spaces throughout the world at Loosecubes or Deskwanted.

For more information about Creative Density or for a free day pass contact Craig Baute.

Related Articles:
Coming soon to coworking spaces: Fewer tattoos, more suits?
Telecommute from Coworking Spaces

IdeaKick Denver is having their second event at Creative Density on July 28th at 6:30. The first IdeaKick brought nearly 30 people together to share ideas and give feedback about six ideas/hunches/dreams/pet projects. It was incredible and it showed that Denver is full of entrepreneurs ready to create.

Learn more and register for the next Idea Kick here.

The Hub published a great article about the growth of coworking in Denver. The article, ‘Shared Office Space Available for Telecommuters’has images from Creative Density and interviews many of the current and past owners of coworking communities in Denver.

“I definitely think that Denver’s becoming a hub for co-working.” – Dan Nevin is quoted in the article. We agree!

Creative Density lets everyone to try out the space for free on their first visit. Take advantage of this offer and head over to the Capitol Hill/Uptown neighborhood for awesome coworking.

Creative Density’s New Site
Its been nearly 6 months since DenverCoworking.com went live, and the first phase of this journey will end when our doors open on May 18th. Based on your input and votes Creative Density was formed and everyone is invited to join us for free coworking until June 1st. This will be a time to be part of the community, to share ideas, and to feed off the other energy of others.

Join us at 1719 Emerson St. in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.

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