Creating Ampersand Coworking
Including the Creative Economy
The Situation
In Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the city of Marquette was seeing an influx of remote workers, freelancers, and solo entrepreneurs drawn by its natural beauty and affordability. But there was no shared space to support connection, creativity, or collaboration. When the state released funding to help Chambers of Commerce engage the creative economy, the local chamber saw an opportunity—but didn’t know how to bring the idea to life.
The Real Challenge
Coworking was unfamiliar territory. Local economic development groups were hesitant to partner, funding was uncertain, and no one quite knew how to make the business model work. There was a vision—but no plan.
What We Did
We started with a discovery process, interviewing potential members and partner organizations to understand what people needed and whether it was viable. The result: a feasibility study that laid out real demand, space and amenity needs, projected costs, and a business model. With that foundation, we helped develop a $700K project that pulled together five local banks, state grant funding, building owners, and a tight-knit team of community champions. We worked directly with architects, builders, and funders to take the concept from idea to open doors.
What Changed
Ampersand Coworking opened in 2017 and ran for eight years as a hub for over 100 small businesses and countless community events. It became a physical and cultural anchor for Marquette’s growing entrepreneurial ecosystem.
