Intentionally setting a tone of acceptance, the space began to fill with a diverse collection of organizations, from animal rights groups to LGBT advocacy programs.

Since day one SketchPad has been a pioneer in the Jewish nonprofit community. “SketchPad” marked the ever-changing nature at the core of collaboration. By incorporating the ideas, feedback, and expertise of the individuals in the space, members are able to go back to the drawing board and adapt. It captured the essence of what an ideal co-working space has to offer.

When deciding the identity of what the space would be, the name “SketchPad'' stuck out in the early stages of development. Through many space visits and conversations to envision the goals and values of the new entity, the group took a leap of faith to co-create this organization, and SketchPad was officially established in 2017. It takes bold leaders to foster new ideas, and SketchPad wouldn’t be a reality without the early support of JCUA, KAHAL, Avodah, SVARA, AJWS, Worker’s Circle, Orot, and others. She convened a group of Jewish leaders who would become anchor organizations of this new initiative. Irene envisioned a break from the norm: a pointedly Jewish workspace centered around community organizers and nonprofits. While other co-working spaces already existed, there was no venue that could provide what she was looking for. While working from home for a national Jewish nonprofit, she found that it was difficult to coordinate with like-minded organizers at a centralized location. SketchPad started as the brainchild of Irene Lehrer Sandalow in 2015.

Html sketchpad