The Plantory

Please click this link to read an article written by Merlene Davis that appeared in the Herald-Leader. The article talks about The Plantory and our 2011 Humanitarian Award recipients!

http://www.kentucky.com/2011/10/30/1940727/merlene-davis-this-years-humanitarian.html

In early October Amy Carrington, with Commerce Lexington and the Leadership Lexington Youth Program held a “Go Green Day” at The Plantory. Students from around the area learned about recycling and being Green. While they ate lunch and learned about nonprofit organizations in The Plantory, our very own Director Shannon Stuart-Smith and Cultivator Daniel Baker were able to talk to the group about supporting local non-profit organizations through volunteerism, especially in terms of committed and long-term service to the organizations they choose.

Not long after using our outdoor space for learning about being green and our Conference Room for their meeting, Amy Carrington, the Director of Leadership Development sent letters to the staff at The Plantory thanking them for their hospitality. “The hospitality of the do-gooders at The Plantory stands above other facilities and it is much appreciated.”

Further, the information given to the students was also valuable. “The exposure and information they received from their experience at The Plantory will ultimately impact our community through the development of these future leaders.”

We thoroughly enjoyed hosting this group of talented and motivated young leaders. We can’t wait to have them around for a second visit!

Thanks to everyone who made this event a success! We can’t wait to see what tomorrow’s leaders bring to Lexington!

Anita Courtney and the Tweens Coalition had this to say about The Plantory:

“The Tweens Nutrition and Fitness Coalition held their August meeting at the Plantory. The groups’s immediate response: ‘Can this be our regular meeting place?’ The Plantory has such a different feel than any meeting venue we’ve convened in. It feels professional, but relaxed and creative. Welcoming, but respectful. The staff couldn’t have been more helpful. I know just a little about the research about how physical space affects psychic space, but I understand it viscerally when I am at the Plantory. You get the sense that anything is possible there. Thanks for planting it for Lexington. My prediction: the Plantory is going to transform how Lexington creates positive change in a tangible way.”

Stephanie Aschmann Spires, Owner of Limelight Promotions, LLC, has an interesting outlook on her position with the organization: “My job is to put myself out of business – to give you the tools and confidence you need to be successful.” Limelight Promotions is a full-service event management, communications, and fundraising consulting firm. Spires gears her services toward people of all types, but her passion remains with serving nonprofit organizations.

Spires began Limelight Promotions when she saw the great passion nonprofit organizations have for making good things happen, but realized they lacked certain resources to be fully successful. Her passion to help turned into a business and soon, Spires began seeking a place to work. Before long she became acquainted with The Plantory. Spires acknowledges the need for nonprofit organizations to work alongside each other and collaborate on projects to ensure success. Not only did she see The Plantory as a great atmosphere for collaboration, she also thought it would be a great learning environment as well. “There are so many organizations in the area that can benefit from the trainings Limelight offers. Bringing nonprofit organizations in for these trainings will also create more opportunities for collaboration.”

Spires said “the sky is the limit” with The Plantory. She sees us quickly growing out of our current space as more and more organizations take advantage of collaborative opportunities. She thinks great things will happen for the community as valuable ideas and efforts are collaborated on. Further, Limelight Promotions looks forward to making good things happen for their fellow tenants at The Plantory as well as the surrounding community through collaboration, trainings, and offering their services to support local organizations.

Currently, Limelight Promotions is working on a “Young and Board” workshop series to assist young people serving on boards in collaboration, networking, and dealing with common board issues. The first Young and Board workshop will be held at The Plantory on Monday, August 29, 2011 at 5pm.

For more information on Limelight Promotions, LLC, please follow them on Facebook or check out their website at www.limelightpromotionsllc.com.

CHES Solutions Group has become our first tenant at The Plantory. This “Tenant Spotlight” is a quick look at the good things they do!

“Working by yourself is important sometimes, but there has to be a place for connection and exchange.” This is Dr. Kay Hoffman’s view on her organization’s purpose for conducting business in The Plantory. The Center for Human Entrepreneurship Services (CHES) Solutions Group became The Plantory’s first official tenant in late July. CHES focuses its services on assisting organizations that work on behalf of families and children through consultations, technical assistance, evaluations, and innovative training.

While they have specific projects and issues they work with, they believe their fit at The Plantory comes from the connections it fosters with other community members. Not only does The Plantory provide the perfect space for CHES to conduct business, but the collaborative environment brings the necessary connections individuals and organizations need to be creative, innovative, and ultimately, to succeed. “Our society has too many people working alone, struggling alone and trying to find their way by themselves. We shouldn’t be doing that – we need community.” CHES hopes to grow into a stronger “Do-Gooder” organization by growing alongside other like-minded individuals and organizations in The Plantory.

Dr. Hoffman thinks “typical office space is so alienating – so utterly private and distant from others.” She envisions The Plantory changing the stereotypical idea of an office space, promoting collaboration among tenants, and increasing the engagement of the local community in current issues. Most importantly, she looks forward to CHES becoming acquainted with other tenants and further promoting the idea of a community of social “Do-Gooders.” “We invite people to talk to us about their projects and how we might be able to help.”

The Plantory and CHES – “Where Good Grows”

For more information on CHES, check out their website: www.chessolutionsgroup.com

Definitions of social innovation abound, and a casual observer can quickly become entangled. We’ve adopted a simple definition: Social innovation refers to new ideas and practices that resolve existing social, cultural, economic and environmental challenges for the benefit of people and planet. A true social innovation is system-changing; it permanently alters the perceptions, behaviors and structures that previously gave rise to these challenges.

Click here to read the rest of our article in Business Lexington