Member Spotlight: Summer Paris
For Summer Paris, each client is a new challenge to find the perfect mix of marketing tools for tackling Jackson’s unique market. Her advertising-marketing agency, Paris Creative, uses a wide span of strategies to help clients across all sectors.
Member Spotlight: Krisann Blair
If you love Christmas but hate the stress surrounding the holiday season, Krisann Blair is the woman to talk to. From travel tips to relaxing essential oils, she’s ready to help you tackle anything the season may throw at you.
Looking Back on Five Years at theCO with Austin Thompson
Five years ago, theCO was just starting out and not nearly as well-known. Austin Thompson, one of theCO’s earliest members, sat down to tell us how he got involved all those years ago and why he continues to stick around. Austin has two companies, Thompson Industries, where he does social media marketing and small business consulting, and Random Pieces of Wood, which he started while at theCO, where he crafts laser engraved gifts.
Member Spotlight: Adam Curl
There aren’t many college students that get to work in their field of study while in undergrad, but Adam Curl is one exception. As a senior Computer Science major at Middle Tennessee State University, Adam works remotely as a web and software developer for Sodium Halogen at theCO, and has been a CO:member for the past two and a half years.
Member Spotlight: Marie Flowers
theCO sees a lot of fresh faces coming through the front doors, bringing ideas and innovation. The Flowers family joined theCO in July, and has since been creating wooden products in the makerspace. Marie Flowers started her business “Moore Unique Products” with her fiance, Joseph Moore in May, which quickly became her full time job along with being the mom of Brennan and Alana, who also play a part in production.
CO.STARTERS Spotlight: Seth Nelson
Most early teenagers are starting high school and spending their free time hanging out with friends, but at the young age of fourteen, Seth Nelson was busy starting a business. Nelson’s homegrown business, The Farmer’s Perk Organic Coffee Co., started from scratch with only $400 and a kid’s entrepreneurial spirit. He bought fold-out tables and air pots and began showing up every Saturday morning at the farmers’ market to serve Jacksonians coffee while they browsed the produce.
Member Spotlight: Dave, Zach, & Sam Roberts
theCO sees countless new faces every year, and when the summer rolls around, kids start showing up with their parents to participate in camps, build things in the makerspace, or print pieces on the 3D printer. Dave Roberts and his two sons are no different, as they joined theCO this spring. Dave works a physician assistant and also teaches as an adjunct at Bethel University. He says teaching his EKG class is a reason he enjoys theCO, since it is a workspace outside of his home, where his five kids are constantly running and playing.
Member Spotlight: Kelly Maust
Kelly Maust was fascinated by the jewelry that her mother-in-law used to send her from Ecuador. The stones were meticulously polished and shone in a variety of vibrant colors—except they weren’t stones; they were made from palm seeds.
Ecuadorians harvest the seeds, dry them out, and then colorize them with vibrant dyes. They then use the seeds to make lovely and eco-friendly beads, small toys, keychains, ornaments, and more.
Two years ago, when Maust and her husband were visiting his parents for Christmas, Maust had an idea.