Here are the latest group of entrepreneurs to find a home in Hoboken business location Mission 50….
Female Tech Entrepreneurs Find Inspiration at Mission 50 Workspaces in Hoboken, N.J.
Founders of Startups Mommies 247 and Jumblzar are Members of This Coworking Space
Working from home while forming and running successful startup tech companies was challenging and often frustrating for female entrepreneurs Sarah Himmelbaum and Christine Curatolo. Membership at Mission 50 Workspaces in Hoboken, N.J. has given both women the ability to accomplish great work and forge significant business relationships in a vibrant coworking environment.
“Women are severely underrepresented when it comes to founding tech companies,” said Greg Dell’Aquila, president of Mission 50. “At Mission 50, we are proud to provide a supportive platform in which Sarah, Christine and many other female entrepreneurs can build their businesses.”
Himmelbaum is the founder of Mommies 247, a social networking organization for mothers, which she originally established in Hoboken. The online community provides members with a one-stop destination to socialize, interact, and share parenting information and advice. Since its inception last year, Hoboken Mommies 247 has grown to include more than 5,000 members. Mommies 247 has expanded into Summit, Nutley and Montclair, with additional online communities anticipated by the end of the year.
When she began this venture, Himmelbaum – the mother of an active toddler – was unable to afford the cost of leasing traditional office space. She became a member of Mission 50 in January. “There came a point when my company was growing and I had to figure out a way to grow with it,” she said. “In terms of day-to-day productivity, Mission 50 has been a game changer. When you work from home, as focused as you may be, there are many distractions. It became increasingly difficult to split ‘mommy duties’ with managing a successful company. Mission 50 has given me an office space that is professional and productive, but on my own terms.”
Curatolo, founder of Jumblzar, has been a Mission 50 member since December 2012. Jumblzar is an invitation-only online marketplace where moms can buy and sell used/like-new baby, child and maternity items with other moms. The site recently launched in three cities: Charlotte, N.C., Cornelius, N.C. and Richmond, Va., with plans to expand to Hoboken, N.J. in the coming weeks.
“Mission 50 offers a real sense of community, which has been one of the biggest benefits to my membership,” said Curatolo. “Working from home was great on certain days, but my productivity has gone up ten-fold since I started working here. People with many different backgrounds and skill sets work at Mission 50, and the ability to form relationships, ask questions and get advice from those around me has been invaluable to getting my business off the ground.”
Located in the penthouse of the multi-tenanted, 80,000-square-foot Hoboken Business Center, Mission 50 is a shared work environment for independent professionals, entrepreneurs and small businesses that fosters productivity and collaboration. Members are provided with daily to monthly leasing options and a choice of private and shared workspaces. Amenities include laptop-ready desks with Internet connectivity; virtual mailing addresses; print, copy, scan and fax capabilities; and three soundproof phone booths. The conference room accommodates up to eight people and is equipped with the latest projector technology.
In Mission 50′s dynamic environment, Himmelbaum and Curatolo quickly connected with each other and many more like-minded professionals such as Marcel Fahle, who became Jumblzar’s technical co-founder. While at Mission 50, Himmelbaum and Curatolo co-founded NJ Tech Gals, a support group for women working in the technology industry. NJ Tech Gals is a subgroup of the NJ Tech Meetup, the state’s largest tech community, whose founder is also a Mission 50 member.
“NJ Tech Gals literally was born from our memberships at Mission 50. There’s a lot of good that can come out of surrounding yourself with other creative individuals,” said Himmelbaum.
