Coming soon… CoLabs by Michelle Cole

Mar 05, 2023 News

By Richard Francois

Kaieteur News – Known for her amazing designs, vast knowledge, and enormous experience in the fashion industry, both locally and internationally, Michelle Cole Wagner is an icon in the business of fashion. Notwithstanding her unmatched success in that area, she has her eyes firmly set on a brand-new endeavor, designed to revolutionize the creative business landscape in Guyana. Partnering with the energetic and ambitious David Clarke, together, they intend to launch CoLabs Incorporated – an ultra modern world-class co-work establishment, aimed at providing creative professionals and the contemporary business executive with the ultimate business centre, from which they can professionally function.

What is CoLabs Inc.?

Colabs Inc. Managing Director, Ms. Michelle Cole-Wagner

Recently, the Managing Director (MD) of CoLabs Inc., Michelle Cole-Wagner and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), David Clarke, met with The Waterfalls Magazine and provided an initial description about CoLabs and what this fresh entity comprises.

According to the CEO, “CoLabs Inc. is a co-working and creative lab space that consists of meeting rooms, private offices, as well as creative labs.” The business particularly targets and is designed for young creative entrepreneurs, like photographers, videographers, musicians, and designers. It is also the ideal place for professionals, agencies, & individuals who require acoustically-conditioned, high-quality media production facilities.

“CoLabs Inc. is being established to professionally complement the entire creative business. We have a cyloramic stage which includes both a green room as well as a white room that caters for still photography and videography. In addition, there is a salon hub which is a salon co-working space that can be rented by interested persons. Moreover, there is the audio engineering studio – an actual music recording studio along with a fashion production space,” the CEO said.

How did the idea of CoLabInc. materialize?

Since CoLabs Inc. is being established to expand the local creative ecosystem, to inspire and engage the next generation of creative entrepreneurs, we asked its MD, Michelle C0le-Wagner where she got the inspiration for this unique entity. Not surprisingly, we learned that the idea germinated a long time ago, and what is being manifested today in CoLabs Inc. is just an evolution of collective input.

“Remember when FACTS started, it was about Fashion, Art and Creativity, by Talented Students, so the original idea was built for creative young people across the spectrum. FACTS was really a capsule for talented young people within the creative industry. So, the idea of CoLabs Inc. kind of emerged from FACTS and drew me to the idea that David proposed,”Cole-Wagner said.

CoLabs Inc. Chief Executive Officer, Mr. David Clarke

She further explained that she had always planned on returning to Guyana to complete the current building that houses CoLabs. “The development was definitely going to happen. So, when David proposed this business model, FACTS was what attracted me to it initially, because it is a space that we can do all the things that we intended to do for FACTS and not just the fashion aspect of it. So basically, this is a space where creative people, young or old, can come and have a place where they can accomplish all their creative projects under one roof,” Cole-Wagner said.

Target market

CoLabs Inc. is being launched to primarily target aspiring and established creative individuals and groups looking to bring their ideas to life in a modern professional environment. Business consultants and professionals, desirous of utlising office spaces for the short to medium term, are also being catered for at CoLabs.

CoLabs Logo

The CEO added that, “The second floor is dedicated to co-working spaces and private offices which are ideal for new start-up companies, or, if you are in a position where you have just started a new business and you are looking to expand and you need a permanent space and you have a temporary solution, we have private offices that can accommodate a single individual as well as teams of about five or six persons.”

Clarke also pointed out that, “Persons can also rent co-working desks, shared spaces, and team tables. We also have two conference rooms that clients can rent by the hour for press conferences and product launches.

“There are many people coming into Guyana to work on projects for about two or three months or maybe a year or even two years. We cater for the different needs of our prospective clients. All of our creative and co-working spaces can be rented by the hour, by the day,etc.,” Clarke explained.

Small to medium sized enterprises (companies with fewer than 10 employees), freelancers, startups, companies that engage in short-term activities such as seminars and conferences, small law firms and tax consultants can all concentrate their efforts on their core competencies in a professional work space with all the amenities of the modern office.

When will Colabs Inc. be launched?

CoLabs Inc. Green Room

CoLabs Inc. White Room

Make up station

As the team puts the final touches in place in preparation for the official launch of CoLabs Inc. this year, Guyanese can expect a full-service business solution centre that will not only cater to the unlimited creative mind, but the modern professional. CoLabs Inc. will surely contribute to the growth and development of those individuals utilising its services, as they contribute in positive ways to the Guyanese economy and society.

“Right now, we’re slowly bringing this project on stream. We have our two studios which have been fully booked for the past two months and we’ve been getting lots of positive feedback,” the CEO indicated.

“With construction completed, we’re now in the process of furnishing the building. With where we are at the moment, CoLabs Inc. will be ready to be officially launched early in the second quarter of this year,” Cole-Wagner emphasized.

CoLabs will transform the way young creative entrepreneurs work in Guyana. The facilities that will be available at this new establishment will provide inspired people with the opportunities to develop new and engaging ideas. These innovative spaces will allow teams and individuals to apply sharp focus to projects resulting in productions of the most superlative quality. Each of these unique creative areas has different functionality available. One of these spaces might better suit a specific need over another. But each hub has been developed with workplace performance in mind.

These creative spaces are simply amazing! We could go on and on with all the wonderful reasons we recommend them. For more information, feel free to visit the CoLabs Campus on 43 Garnett Street, Campbelville, Georgetown, or send them an email at [email protected] or simply give them a call on (592) 625 7900.