By Kinsey Gustafson
Nestled into a corner on the edge of downtown Rapid City sits a garage. Not just any garage. The Garage. What was once an auto repair shop in a historical building is now a collaborative workspace where ideas and hard work merge.
Co-owners of The Garage and principals of the Numad Group, Matt Ehlman, Kerry Brock, and Ted Stephens III spent years working out of coffee shops and decided it was time to have a spot where members could work together in a space that inspires creative ideas.
“There was a Chevy commercial we saw that was about all great ideas coming out garages,” says Stephens. “It came on when we were creating this space. Apple started in the garage, [Bill] Gates started in the garage. This is a place that was built in 1929, where innovative things happened with cars, and the same can be done now.”
Ehlman, Stephens, and Brock wanted a building that was iconic to Rapid City. The location of the building and its neighborhood worked perfectly with their vision for the collaborative workspace. Creative ideas and input from members is encouraged and as Ehlman puts it – people now work hard and labor over computers, instead of a car engine.
The Garage is filled with original windows and doors from the auto repair shops. A porcelain water fountain that sits in the front is the original one from 1929. The feel of The Garage is meant to inspire hard work from years past to carry forward.
To read the full article, pick up the March issue of 605 Magazine or click here.
