Small Business Innovation Hub

The Hub, located at 115 Bowery in Manhattan’s Chinatown, is a first-in-kind gathering space for the community to empower small businesses, build bridges, and champion sustainable growth.

We’re open!

Address:
115 Bowery (Ground Floor), New York, NY 10002 (Map)

Hours: Tue-Thur: 10am-5pm

The Hub will be closed 10/22-10/24 for construction, and on 11/5 for election day.

For the rest of the year (2024), The Hub will be open Tuesdays thru Thursdays for drop-ins. In addition, we have various events and programming coming up, hosted by Welcome to Chinatown and friends. We hope to see you soon – whether it’s a pop-by to say hello or at an upcoming event.

Interested in renting the space for your own event?
Email chinatown@welcometochinatown.com

Upcoming
Events at
The Hub

Types of Programming + Services

  • New Incubation

    Launching an incubator for budding entrepreneurs with access to capital and affordable commercial space.

    For example: Entrepreneurs received a Longevity Fund grant to pop up at East Broadway Mall. An estimated 3,000+ people visited and the Fair was covered in Forbes, Travel + Leisure, Time Out New York.

  • Acceleration

    Creating an accelerator for entrepreneurs with a focus on existing Chinatown small business owners to sustain and grow their business.

    For example: Welcome to Chinatown hosted a series of six dinner parties. The highly received events were an opportunity to introduce business owners to a new revenue stream (1/3 had never hosted private events) and booking platforms (50% had never used Resy).

  • Technical Training

    Providing on-site, pro-bono or low-cost centralized technical trainings;

    For example: In partnership with Lunar Hard Seltzer, Welcome to Chinatown worked with two businesses to diversify their beverage offerings to increase revenue.

  • Recipients of our 2022 Chinatown Small Business Awards. Photo credit: Zack Chan

    Matchmaking

    Matchmaking between entrepreneurs and potential investors.

    For Example: Since the Longevity Fund’s creation, Welcome to Chinatown has distributed nearly 80 grants totaling to over half a million dollars, including four recipients of our 2022 Chinatown Small Business Awards presented by Jefferies and RTW Foundation.

  • Advocacy & Education

    Advocating, increasing awareness, and educating audiences on critical issues through hosted programming.

    For example: Welcome to Chinatown hosted a listening session to share our Chinatown Impact Study results with elected officials, community leaders, small business owners, and residents.

  • Photo Credit: Jeff Young

    Community Events

    A space to host accessible programming for our community.

    For Example: MEET CHINATOWN aims to serve as a helpful tool for residents, New Yorkers and tourists alike to (re)discover Chinatown through the eyes of its community. During 88 East Fair, Welcome to Chinatown held a free scavenger hunt featuring prizes from 24 AAPI owned brands. Over 600 people played.

  • Intergenerational Learning

    Providing a space where emerging and legacy entrepreneurs can gather, learn and grow alongside each other. We’ll explore developing business and succession plans.

    For example: Welcome to Chinatown hosted a series of focus groups comprised of businesses owners across different age groups and three languages. Insights informed Welcome to Chinatown on how to shape Hub design and programming.

The Space

The Hub is a space where entrepreneurs can embrace the innovation and creativity embedded in this neighborhood, a space where the community can network and receive resources and information. 

Welcome to Chinatown's forthcoming Small Business Innovation Hub. Designed by SPACED AGENCY.

The 2,500 square foot Hub is dynamic, flexible, and functional to meet a diverse range of programming needs:

  • Main Room & Hall featuring a sliding curtain system to help create unique configurations to host a variety of events and programming

  • Lounge area for informal gatherings including brainstorming, small trainings, and much more

  • Catering space for hospitality training and community events

  • Meeting rooms (2) designed for collaboration and workshops, featuring integrated tech

  • Booths (2) designed as workstations and for private, 1:1 conversations

  • Multi-use mobile carts (6) custom-designed for flexible programming

  • “Artist Alley” gallery space dedicated to showcasing AAPI creativity and visual storytelling

  • Meet Chinatown digital directory to guide visitors and encourage meaningful Chinatown exploration

  • Designed by SPACED AGENCY

    Welcome to the Hub!

    The Hub will be a space where entrepreneurs can embrace the innovation and creativity embedded in this neighborhood, a space where the community can network and receive resources and information. 

  • Designed by SPACED AGENCY

    Hub Overview

    The 2,500 square foot Hub will be dynamic, flexible, and functional to meet a diverse range of programming needs with an approximate capacity of 75 people. A unique feature, the space will have six multi-functional carts inspired by street carts of the Chinatown streets. Custom-built for Welcome to Chinatown, each piece will be mobile and easily tailored to the specific needs of the community.

  • Designed by SPACED AGENCY

    Main Room and Hall

    Flexible to accommodate a variety of programming that will advocate, educate, and increase awareness on critical issues.

  • Designed by SPACED AGENCY

    Accelerating & Incubating

    The Hub will house programming including an accelerator for Chinatown small businesses to sustain and grow; an incubator for buddging entrepreneurs; developing business and succession plans; matchmaking between entrepreneurs and potential investors, affordable commercial space; and technical trainings.

  • Designed by SPACED AGENCY

    Meeting Rooms & Privacy Booths

    The Hub will have two meeting rooms for collaborative programming, two booths for private working and 1:1 meetings, and a catering room for hospitality training & events.

  • Designed by Space Agence

    Artist Alley

    A permanent Artist Alley inspired by the metal gates of Chinatown small businesses, and a place to amplify our community’s creativity.

The Need

Owning and operating a small business is challenging, and for business owners, it can feel daunting to shoulder everything needed for a business to thrive. Chinatown is a small business beacon. 94% of businesses have under 20 employees and small businesses represent 98% of Chinatown’s economy. Despite this, and historical impacts that have burdened the neighborhood’s economy, Chinatown lacks a space dedicated to uplifting our vital entrepreneurs and their endeavors.

In 2022, Welcome to Chinatown conducted a Chinatown Small Business Impact Study to contextualize the historic challenges that have disproportionately impacted the neighborhood. The study concluded with a strategic plan for Welcome to Chinatown’s initiatives that will be further expanded and activated in our Hub. Its creation will support traditionally under-supported establishments that anchor Chinatown, and foster new business development.

Community spaces, especially ones that dually act as an innovation hub, are a magnet for redevelopment, business, job creation, networking, and economic diversity. They also help reduce disparities in access to services, training, and investment which facilitates economic growth and sustainability (Colistra 2017). If Chinatown residents and entrepreneurs can feel socioeconomically empowered, we can overcome the barriers to community autonomy and revitalize Chinatown while honoring its culture and legacy.

Our Hub will fulfill a unique role in the small business ecosystem in Chinatown.