Brilliant Coworking Archives

New East Cobb coworking business, Brilliant Coworking — Photo: M Harris Studio

In January we noted the opening of Brilliant Coworking, an East Cobb coworking business located near Sprayberry High School.

Earlier this week Brilliant Coworking was awarded a $10,000 grant via the Cobb County Entrepreneurship and Innovation Incentive Program.

While the Cobb Board of Commissioners signed off on the grant, the funding comes from the Development Authority of Cobb County.

Last year commissioners created the program “in support of eligible businesses to aid them in growing their business, creating jobs, and maintaining their presence in the County.”

Under the terms of the Cobb Innovation Grant Fund, eligible businesses must meet the following criteria:

agree to remain in Cobb County for three years after the expiration date of the incentive agreement;
be an existing business in Cobb County;
be a graduate of an entrepreneurial training program.

Grants and applications are evaluated by a subcommittee represented by individuals from the Kennesaw State University Office of Community Engagement, SelectCobb, Cobb Travel and Tourism, Cobb Young Professionals, and The Coalition of Cobb County Business Associations.

More about the incentive program is here.

The funding is generally used for startup operations, purchasing equipment, furnishings and machinery, renovations and expanding business services.

Grant recipients cannot use the grant funding for an owner’s salary, paying off debts or loans, lending or investments or speculative ventures.

Brilliant Coworking (2440 Sandy Plains Road) was started by the husband-and-wife team of Michelle and Joseph Gibson. In their application for the grant, they indicated that their business objective is to “help entrepreneurs and small businesses start, develop and grow” and wants to help “increase the number of businesses within the area and provide a place where they can thrive.”

They’re planning to use their grant funding for marketing, advertising and updating amenities.

“This award is an exciting opportunity for us because Cobb County decided to support us, and stand beside us, so we can turn around and do the same for the business community,” the Gibsons said in a statement.

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Thanks to Michelle Gibson for passing along the news about a new coworking business she and her husband are opening in East Cobb that they’re calling Brilliant Coworking.

The venture is located at 2440 Sandy Plains Road, Building 5 (just across from Sprayberry High School). On Friday they’re offering free headshots for business professionals as part of an open house from 1-7 p.m.

You’re asked to sign up for that event here, as well as a networking event on Feb. 9 from 6-8.

The Gibsons moved here from Seabrook Island, S.C. She’s from East Cobb, he’s from England, and they met while living in Charleston, where she went to college. After starting a family (they have daughters ages 6 and 3) they moved here to be closer to her family.

His background is in management for Chick-fil-A as well as photography, and she has an advertising, creative writing and graphic design background.

They’ve been previewing the coworking space to prospective clients during January. There’s space for “solopreneurs” as well as private offices and meeting rooms. Plans run from $20-$40 an hour for meeting room pricie and starting at $199 a month for designated spaces.

Here’s more on what the Gibsons are envisioning for Brilliant Coworking:

“We want to be a resource for the community to provide meeting spaces, offices, coworking and networking events. Joseph being a photographer would also love to build out the 2nd phase to include studio space to serve the arts community in the local area by providing a place that can be shared and rented.

“Currently we provide meeting space downstairs with a small coworking space upstairs. Our goal is to expand into more of the building and build upstairs and provide private offices, flexible work space and a photography studio for the community. We want Brilliant Co to be a resource that Cobb can be proud of and bring people together.”

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Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!