Stacey Messier | General manager, CIC Providence LLC
1. What is your background in entrepreneurship, and how does this inform your vision for CIC Providence, which is a coworking community for entrepreneurs? In my 20s, I started a design and marketing firm. At that time, there was a burgeoning group of young entrepreneurs, as well as a newly formed Arts & Industries Council, which I co-led and [where I] taught a variety of workshops. When I read the job description for the GM of CIC in Providence, I immediately thought back to how I approached the community there and knew I could deploy something similar to benefit CIC’s client companies in Providence.
2. As industries grapple with shifting workforce needs and expectations, what trends are you noticing among CIC’s client companies? While many other cities and states have had a challenging time bringing people back to the office, we’re seeing quite a consistent desire for employees to be in person. Beyond each individual workspace, our innovation campuses create valuable opportunities for companies to network and share resources with industry peers, which helps them grow faster and better.
3. How has the offshore wind industry been evolving within CIC? Rhode Island placed itself on the map when the Block Island Wind Farm started to spin its turbines in 2016. Since then, CIC in Providence has welcomed over 20 offshore wind companies to our innovation campus, and we continue to talk with and offer tours to prospective businesses that stretch across the supply chain for this rapidly growing industry.
4. What do you see as being CIC’s role within Providence’s innovation network, and in Rhode Island? CIC in Providence is uniquely poised to enable and scale our state’s strategic priorities around the blue economy and life sciences. From our client-led industry clusters to the expertise and collaboration of our partners, we see our innovation campus as one that sparks the momentum behind the fruitful connections and creative collisions that happen in and outside of our hallways.
5. What resources are missing for startups in Rhode Island, and how is CIC working to bridge these gaps? Startups are challenged by a variety of speed bumps depending on their stage. We have incredible community partners … [such as] RIHub, and their Venture Mentoring Services program that helps fledgling high-growth startups find their way to scale and sustainability.
