Four Cultivate and Nest Members Awarded Cash Grants
HADLEY — Four members of Cultivate and Nest, a co-office space that also provides a child-care component, were collectively presented with a total of $97,000 at Valley Venture Mentors’ recent Accelerator Awards.
Marcelia Muehlke, owner of Celia Grace, a fair-trade wedding-dress company, took home the grand prize of $50,000. Amy Love, owner of Homebody Holistics, was awarded the second prize of $45,000. Terra Missildine, Cultivate and Nest founder and owner, and Roxy Laurel, owner of Simple Diaper, each won $1,000. The awards were given to members of the Valley Venture Mentors mentorship program, meant to kick-start growing businesses. A total of $252,000 was awarded to 12 finalists.
In addition to providing an office space, Cultivate and Nest provides child care to its members, with the intention of supporting parents in entrepreneurship. Missildine said this component is what allows members to achieve at a level high enough to be competitive in an arena such as the accelerator program.
“We are creating a community and network of support so these parents feel like they can pursue and achieve great things,” said Missildine. “The goal of Cultivate is to empower parents to take their lives and businesses to the next level without compromising their family values.”
Cultivate and Nest is the first membership-based co-office space in the Valley to incorporate a child-care component. Located on the first floor in the Hadley Crossing business park, it offers roughly 3,400 square feet of office space that can be used by parents operating their own businesses. Missildine calls these business people ‘parentpreneurs.’
Members of Cultivate and Nest pay in cost tiers that range from $100 to $600 per month, depending on amenities and level of office access. Event and workshop space is also available for members and the community at large to host family-friendly events.
“We couldn’t be more proud or impressed by what we see happening around us in this community,” said Missildine. “I personally feel so very honored to be even a tiny part of these families’ successes and happiness.”
To learn more about Cultivate and Nest, visit cultivateandnest.com or call Missildine at (413) 345-2400.
