With an eye on revitalization, Downtown Bellefonte Inc. hires first full-time manager
Gina Thompson began as a volunteer for Downtown Bellefonte Inc. and now, the borough council member is looking to help revitalize the downtown area as the full-time Main Street manager — DBI’s first paid position.
As Thompson steps into her role, DBI has a new office — Studio 1795, a coworking and events space that opened last week. Located at 127 S. Allegheny St. No. 2, the space is the latest project of Ellen Matis, board president of DBI, and reflects what she called an increased need for a collaborative space and resources for entrepreneurs in the local area.
Studio 1795 will also be the new home of SpringBoard, a business incubator, formerly located at 127 S. Allegheny St. During Tuesday’s board of commissioners meeting, Matis said she hopes the studio will give aspiring entrepreneurs, existing business owners and community members a place to go for resources and networking opportunities.
“The studio space is just a great opportunity for Downtown Bellefonte to have,” Thompson said. “It’s like working from home without the distractions of working from home. I think it’s a real asset to the community to have a place like this for professionals to come and have a space where they can work and network with other individuals.”
A Bellefonte resident since 2005, Thompson said she has always loved the borough, but over the past year, she has become heavily involved in the community. After being appointed to Bellefonte Borough Council last year, Thompson was elected to a four-year term in the November election.
“I’ve always been really passionate about community and people,” she said. “When I started serving on borough council, it kind of dawned on me that this was something I really enjoyed, and I felt like I was doing meaningful work.”
When it came time to apply for DBI’s manager position, Thompson said she thought it would help her further her role as a leader in the community while giving her an opportunity to work with others and have a lasting impact on the borough.
“DBI has already done a lot of amazing stuff for the community, and the goal of the organization is to grow and revitalize the downtown business scene, but it’s also to provide resources for downtown businesses,” she said. “It can be pretty daunting for business owners to move here, so our goal is to be able to be a solid resource.”
Excited to work in a collaborative space for the first time, Thompson said what inspires her most are community volunteers who help make DBI events — Bellefonte Under the Lights, the Outdoor Adventure Expo and the Winter Market — possible.
“I was a volunteer up until now. My position is a full-time, paid position,” she said. “For everyone else, they’re volunteers who pour their hearts into DBI. It’s all as an aside to their lives, and I wanted to be part of that. With my new role, I am really excited to be a part of Studio 1795 and to keep working with so many dedicated people.”
Studio 1795 offers drop-in, biweekly and Monday-Friday membership levels, for $10, $65 and $145 a month. The space is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and members have access to all kitchen amenities, high-speed internet, printing, private meeting spaces and business resources.
This story was originally published January 14, 2020 at 1:43 PM.
