Good news for 1313 Innovation startups: The Wilmington coworking space just installed a Fun Department. Well, sort of.
Come Aug. 15, 1313 will welcome The Fun Dept., a 10-year old culture-building company that helps large corporations create a “fun” atmosphere for their employees by planning team-building events and producing training and development workshops. They service companies in most major cities along the northeast corridor and even have a licensed franchise in Sydney, Australia.
There are hundreds and hundreds of researchers and speakers and books and trainings out there that have proven fun is important. They answer the 'why' — we haven't found anyone else answering how to implement.
“We found success in companies that start implementing things monthly, and then can move to doing things that are fun weekly to get to an eventual point where fun is part of their fabric,” said Fun Dept. CEO and Managing Partner Nathaniel Measley.
CEO and Managing Partner is Measly’s “official” title. Within the company, he’s known as the “Master of Fun.”
“We all make up our own job titles,” he said. For instance, founder Nick Gianoulis is the “Godfather of Fun.” Additional titles have included Emperor of Fun and Games and First Lady of Fun — catching on?
“There are hundreds and hundreds of researchers and speakers and books and trainings out there that have proven fun is important,” Measley said. “They answer the ‘why’ — we haven’t found anyone else answering how to implement.”
That’s why The Fun Dept. recently independently published its own how-to book, titled “Playing it Forward: The Definitive ‘How To’ Model for Creating a Winning Workplace Culture.” Authored by Measley and Gianoulis and available on Amazon, the book delves into the science of creating a fun working environment.
Considering The Fun Dept.’s model, 1313 Innovation might be the perfect space for the company to base operations.
“The space itself reflects who we are as a business and the kind of brand and atmosphere and culture we’re building within our small company,” Measley said. “It is breeding innovation and creation here and it’s set up and designed to do so.”
The five-employee company boasts a roster of part-time trainers from across the nation. Measley said they are in the process of identifying trainers to bring into Delaware.
“It’s a true ‘train-the-trainer’ program, and the space here will be the perfect backdrop for that growth,” he said.
Companies:
1313 Innovation
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