Community Connectors Episode 7 – Fundraising, Advocacy, and Flexible Spaces

This week on Community Connectors, we visited The Verge OKC and sat down with executive director Kristin Garcia. The Verge is officially an entrepreneurship hub, but the conversation quickly made clear why their model applies to any community space: libraries, museums, parks, churches, makerspaces, and beyond.

First, programming is built to move people. Free coworking Wednesdays draw newcomers. “Pitches and Pints” gives first-time founders a low-pressure mic. The summer startup weekend asks participants to pay a little and commit a lot, which creates energy you can’t fake. The rule of thumb is simple: challenges beat convenience. People show up when they feel momentum and meaning.

Second, communication is treated like a product. In a world of notifications, The Verge prints “Under the Door News,” posts schedules where people actually look, and sends calendar invites so events stick. Analog plus digital wins.

Third, they design for people, not just tenants. Flexible memberships replace long leases so early-stage teams aren’t trapped. Rooms are multi-use by default: boardrooms open into event space, podcast studios double as meeting rooms, and there are quiet “Zoom rooms” when you need focus. Wellness rooms acknowledge that real life shows up at work.

Finally, fundraising and advocacy are framed around outcomes, not square footage. When Kristin talks to donors and civic partners, the case is about jobs, retention of local talent, faster customer discovery, and a stronger small-business pipeline. The “hub” is the program that connects resources, mentors, and funding.  The building is just the tool.

For community leaders, the takeaways are clear: design flexible spaces, program for progression, over-communicate in more than one channel, and tell an impact story that ties your work to jobs and local prosperity. If your goal is to get people off the couch and into the room, give them something worth doing together.

Learn More about The Verge OKC: https://www.vergeokc.com/

Watch the Full Episode 7:  https://youtu.be/moscU_5w2YI