>> THE GIRL SCOUTS OF CENTRAL INDIANA IS LAUNCHING AN INNOVATIVE, HIGH-TECH MODEL TO BETTER SERVE THE COMMUNITY. THE
ORGANIZATION HAS RELOCATED ALL MEMBERSHIP FIELD STAFF TO 24 CO-WORKING SPACES THROUGHOUT CENTRAL INDIANA AND IS SHIFTING
ITS RETAIL STORE PRESENCE FROM A HANDFUL OF LOCATIONS TO MORE THAN 120 NEW POP-UP SITES. THE SUCCESS OF THE LAUNCH FISHERS
CO-WORKING SPACE WAS ONE OF THE KEY DRIVERS FOR THE SHIFT IN STRATEGY. GIRL SCOUTS OF CENTRAL INDIANA
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER DANIELLE SHOCKEY AND LAUNCH FISHERS AND INDIANA IOT LAB FOUNDER JOHN WECHSLER JOIN US WITH DETAILS.
WELCOME, YOU BOTH, TO THE SHOW. >> THANK YOU. >> I THINK THIS REALLY IS AN INNOVATIVE SOLUTION TO A
CHALLENGE, DANIELLE, I'LL START WITH YOU, FIRST OF ALL, GIRL SCOUTS OF CENTRAL INDIANA, YOURSELF GOT A BIG FOOTPRINT.
TALK ABOUT THE WIDE █AREA YOU SERVE, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE YOU SERVE THERE AT THE GIRL SCOUTS. >> SURE. SO WE SERVE 45 CENTRAL
INDIANA COUNTIES, WHICH IS AROUND 21,000 GIRL SCOUTS AND 10,000 VOLUNTEERS. AND SO THAT'S A LOT OF SQUARE FOOTAGE TO COVER
AS WELL AS MILES AND URBAN AND RURAL LOCATIONS. >> AND THAT'S, I GUESS, THE CRUX OF THE ISSUE THERE, AS YOU BEGAN
TO LOOK AT THINGS, AND KIND OF THINK ABOUT THIS CO-WORKING MODEL, WHAT REALLY LED YOU TO THE DECISION TO GO TO THIS VERY
DIFFERENT LOOKING MODEL? >> SO, PREVIOUSLY WE HAD SEVEN FACILITIES THAT RANGED FROM STAND ALONE BUSINESSES TO STRIP
MALLS, AND WE BEGAN STUDYING THE NUMBER OF OUR CUSTOMERS UTILIZING THOSE SPACES WELL, WE FOUND IT WAS VERY LOW, AND WE
STARTED TO LOOK AT THINGS WE WANTED TO SOLVE FOR, WHICH WAS SERVING OUR MEMBERSHIP BETTER, AND OUR MEMBERSHIP DIDN'T ONLY
LIVE IN THOSE 7 COMMUNITIES, AS WELL AS RAISING THE PERCEPTION AND AWARENESS OF THE ORGANIZATION, SO GETTING OUT OF
JUST, AGAIN, THOSE SEVEN LOCATIONS OUT TO THESE 24 CO-WORKING SPACES HAS FRANKLY SOLVED A LOT OF CHALLENGES IN
THE ORGANIZATION AND GOING TO ALLOW US TO SERVE OUR MISSION. WE CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO MEASURE THE NUMBER OF WAYS AT THIS
POINT. >> SO INSTEPS, THE CO-WORKING MODEL, THE FATHER OF CO-WORKING IN INDIANA, JOHN WECHSLER, JOHN,
LAUNCH FISHERS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE, THE FIRST, OR ONE OF THE FIRST CO-WORKING SPACE IN INDIANA. NOW THERE ARE MANY
AROUND THE STATE. TALK ABOUT HOW THIS PARTNERSHIP REALLY IS WORKING. >> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, SUCCESS
HAS A THOUSAND FATHERS, GERRY, I'M HAPPY TO BE ONE OF THE MANY THAT HAVE HELPED BUILD THIS CO-WORKING ECOSYSTEM AROUND THE
STATE. REALLY, THE WAY IT'S GOING TO WORK IS THE GIRL SCOUTS NOW WILL HAVE 24 DIFFERENT FRONT DOORS AROUND THE STATE, IT'S
GOING TO BRING THEM MUCH CLOSER TO THOSE THEY SERVE. BUT ALSO IT WILL CROSS POLLINATE THEM WITH THE INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEUR
COMMUNITIES IN EVERY LOCATION AROUND THE STATE. SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE EXCITEMENT THAT I SEE BUILDING IN THE MANY
LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE HOSTING THE GIRL SCOUTS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTNER UP
ON GUEST SPEAKERS, AND WORKSHOPS, AND ALL SORTS OF ENTREPRENEURIAL AND INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMING OPPORTUNITIES, THAT
TO ME IS WHAT IS MOST EXCITING. >> AS YOU LOOK AT WHAT IS GOING ON FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT KNOW, BUT IN A CO-WORKING SPACE, THERE
REALLY IS AN INNOVATIVE ENTREPRENEURIAL VIBE, IF YOU WILL, IN THOSE CO-WORKING SPACES, HOW DO YOU SEE THAT
TRANSLATING INTO REALLY MAKING THIS PARTNERSHIP A SUCCESS? >> WELL, IT'S -- I THINK WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE IS THE VERY
ESSENCE OF WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT TO EVERY COMMUNITY IN INDIANA. AND THAT IS WHEN YOU INVEST IN THE ENVIRONMENT FOR
ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION TO TAKE ROOT, GOOD THINGS HAPPEN. THIS INITIATIVE IS REALLY AN OUTGROWTH OF JUST A
DISCUSSION AND AN IDEA WITH THE GIRL SCOUTS THAT HAPPENED MORE THAN A YEAR AGO AT OUR LAST CO-WORKING PASSPORT SUMMIT,
WE'RE HAVING THE NEXT ONE IN NOVEMBER. WE HAD THE GROUP TOGETHER AND THREW OUT THIS IDEA. THEY TOOK THE IDEA UNDER
STUDY AND ENDED UP BUILDING THIS PROGRAM, AND RAN WITH IT, AND I JUST THINK IT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW INNOVATIVE THINGS HAPPEN
WHEN YOU INVEST IN THE ENVIRONMENT FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP TO TAKE ROOT, AND I APPLAUD THE GIRL SCOUTS FOR SEEING THIS AND
TAKING THE INITIATIVE TO DO IT. >> YEAH, A LOT OF ELEMENTS TO THIS, DANIELLE, AMONG THEM, EFFICIENCY, AS YOU LOOK TO NOT
ONLY GAIN A LOT OF THE THINGS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE FROM AN ASSOCIATION STANDPOINT WITH THE TECH COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO
SAVE MONEY, AS WELL. >> WE'RE GOING TO SAVE AROUND $312,000 ANNUALLY ONCE THIS IS FULLY ACTUALIZED, IN TERMS OF
CLOSING SOME OF THE OTHER STAND ALONE LOCATIONS, THAT $312,000 WE'RE INVESTING BACK INTO OUR CAMP PROPERTIES, WHICH OUR GIRLS
LOVE, AND ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS, IT IS TRULY A WIN-WIN. >> AN INNOVATIVE MODEL, THE GIRL SCOUTS OF CENTRAL INDIANA,
PARTNERING WITH CO-WORKING SPACES AROUND THE STATE OF INDIANA. THANKS FOR JOINING US, GOOD LUCK WITH HOW THINGS GO.