On January 17, members of The Network for Springfield’s Young Professionals hosted the first lunch-and-learn Living in SGF series event for 2024 at the efactory. The program started with Emily Denniston, Director of Community Engagement & Operations giving an overview of the efactory. Denniston talked about the history of the efactory including the building formerly known as a poultry processing plant to now, recently celebrating their 10 years of doors being opened to serve. The efactory serves 5,600 + business clients through a variety of programs and flexible solutions including: private offices, coworking spaces, meeting spaces, 1:1 business consulting, mentorship programs, and more.

Following the efactory overview presentation from Emily, she then welcomed three panelists Nic Lamphear, chief operating officer of OMNI RTLS LLC, Dami Odunewu, CEO and founder of Purpose Connect, and Clayton Rothschild, co-founder of CloudPano to share about what they are inspired by, the benefits they have experienced as entrepreneurs working at the efactory and their personal journeys that led them to the Springfield region.

“There are so many amenities you don’t know you need, it’s like you’ve got business training wheels and working at and out of efactory provides all the support you need and maybe didn’t know you need,” said Lamphear. In addition to the on-site benefits, Odunewu explained that once she got out in the community and discovered how much there is to offer, it kept her here. “Springfield is a hidden gem of a place that not a lot of people know about,” she explained. Rothschild shared similar sentiment with the fellow panelists, “A benefit to working out of efactory is the resources that are provided, collaboration amongst amazing people who are like minded.”

Following the panel, Network members had the opportunity to ask follow-up questions to learn more about the panelist’s passion for being in Springfield, the growth opportunities, and relationships they have gained from being a part of the efactory.