Adina Levin: Bringing Creative People and Resources into Collaboration Under One Roof
Co-founder of Collab, Collab
Twitter: @collabnyc
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adinalevin
Website: http://www.collab-orators.com/, http://adinalevin.com/
Bio: Current: Co-founder, Collab—a Fabrication Lab, Innovation Studio and Do Tank in NYC; Previously, President and CEO, Camp Beverly Hills; Founder, Company Boutique
Innovating in field of work:
- Collab goes beyond a traditional co-working space by providing space, technology, and manufacturing equipment for artists, architects, fabricators, engineers, entrepreneurs, scientists, and others to work on their ideas while collectively developing socially and environmentally conscious solutions.
- A combination think tank and fabrication laboratory: tools to work on their ideas + an open source platform to expanding and exchanging those ideas with other members.
- Juxtaposing different types of thinkers (e.g. neuroscientist+architect) with the right tools) to expand creativity
Impact:
- Collab has helped launch over 10 companies with a combined value in excess of $700 million, while creating more than 300 new jobs
- Recently founded Women’s Sewing Collective providing underserved women with full-time jobs, training (Incl. 1 day/week of paid training in other disciplines supported by Collab) with vesting employee-ownership over 24 Month term.
- Generated millions of dollars for Company Boutique.
Role Model:
- Demonstrating by example the opportunities created “when an inventive group of people share space, resources, their ideas and imaginations on a daily basis.”
- Role model for young girls. Set up a robotics program at Collab teaching 10-13 year old girls; provides transportation and brings in extra mentors like graduates from MIT.
- Has mentored ‘countless’ women through their participation in Collab and now also Women’s Sewing Collective
Reinvention / Risk / Momentum:
- Bootstrapped up from disadvantaged education, without graduating high school, GED.
- Facilitates entrepreneurship through mentoring and opportunity; Collab provides opportunity and material support to innovators from Architecture to Bio-Engineers to Technologists.
- Creating conditions to support thriving start-ups and sustainable sole proprietor run businesses.
“Adina is in a near constant state of disruption….She dissects everything…sees connections in disparate things. It’s apparent in every idea, project, and installation she designs and builds for clients such as L’Oreal, Nickelodeon, Children’s Museum of Manhattan and United Nations. She infuses her insatiable curiosity and innovative spirit into Collab on a daily basis.”