B:CIVIC partnered with Denver-based Longer Tables to host a Community Dinner at Green Spaces. Our guests had the opportunity to browse the Marketplace, and we invite everyone to take a closer look at this innovative space. Read more in our interview with Green Spaces CEO Jevon Taylor below.
Green Spaces—a Community Hub in Five Points—offers a new take on sustainability. For CEO Jevon Taylor who reopened Green Spaces in April 2023, sustainability goes beyond environmental protections to include talent retention and vibrant social ecosystems that engage everyone.
Jevon’s hope for the future of Denver is three-fold: greater access to natural areas, expanded food access for all Denverites and equitable resources for smaller organizations. This is reflected in the built environment of Green Spaces: the building is LEED-certified with 100% solar energy, and there are lots of plants, natural materials and open space for gathering. Overall, the building includes event space, a dedicated co-working space and the Marketplace filled with local vendors.
Jevon noted that communities and industries are very separated in Denver. “Our space can be whatever it needs to be, so we are uniquely positioned to bring together multiple sectors under one roof and fill the connectivity gap,” said Jevon. “There’s also a gap of trust between small and large businesses driven by a lack of knowledge of what each offers and a lack of access to each other.”
In addition to providing a gathering place, Green Spaces supports local small businesses through educational programing and other forms of assistance and facilitating connections. Jevon would like to see investors and corporations consider the long-term impacts of their investments. “Is your donation, money or space, giving an organization the chance to grow and get a stake in the neighborhood?” asked Jevon. One successful model he points to is the combination of capital paired with capacity-building workshops, so the organization can be sustainable. “There’s a growing regime of small businesses in Denver looking for progressive ways to partner,” said Jevon.
Green Spaces is itself in a period of growth. The team of four hopes to expand, and there will be a relaunch of the Marketplace on September 23. Learn more by visiting Green Spaces’ website and Instagram page.
