The Sharing Tree is still in the process of re-starting back up, but I think in the last few weeks, we have made some major strides in the right direction. We now have a trained and experienced real estate team working with us on finding a new location. We are visiting more and more facilities every week, zeroing in on a place to call home. Along with this, we have found some collaborations that might provide us with a temporary home, if we choose to take this route. I personally have also seen my involvement in the organization grow. I think I just needed the opportunity to prove my worth and skill set to the Board of Commissioners, and I got to do that with my research report on other Children’s Museums in the country. Many of the members of the board told me it was phenomenal work, and as no good deed goes unpunished, I was immediately tasked with more work that would require more time and effort, but I was happy to do so as it felt like it provided an exciting learning opportunity. As of now, The Sharing Tree is still working on their location, but as I said, the process is progressing by the day. Along with this, the other main goal that has emerged is establishing a realistic, strong, well-researched business plan that we can use as leverage in both facility and financial discussions. The Sharing Tree was last operational in 2017, and while the business plan from 2017 is good, it needs a lot of revamping and updates to bring it into 2019. This business plan also needs to reflect the new business model and the new facilities. All in all, the moral at The Sharing Tree and within myself is at an all-time high. We are looking forward to getting back to cultivating the creative and artistic culture within Tallahassee.
I’ll have more updates coming soon
— Daniel Francis
FSU Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship Internships 