Founder/CEO Chris Dima Featured in Mainline Today’s 16 Most Daring Entrepreneurs

Excerpt from Main Line Today:

Part innovation center, part work-space and part auditorium, Walnut St. Labs is a regional epicenter of tech entrepreneurialism. It hosts networking events, brainstorming sessions, and talks from the region’s most successful tech entrepreneurs. “We created an ecosystem, the purpose of which is to build and generate ideas,” says founder and CEO Chris Dima.

That wasn’t Dima’s goal when he got to Walnut St. Labs in 2013. Then, it was just shared office space. Dima was working for Economy.com while expanding his own software-development and marketing company when the lease expired. Five other entrepreneurs worked in the building. “No one wanted to, so I signed the lease myself,” says Dima. “I created a logo and hung a piece of paper on the front door with tape. Walnut St. Labs was born. Lesson learned: You can wait for other people to lead, or lead yourself.”

Grants from the Chester County Economic Development Council helped Dima transform the former taxi garage into an innovation center. “You need a clubhouse where like-minded people can gather,” he says.

In early 2016, Dima moved Walnut Street Labs to a new space—still in West Chester and with the same vibe. “I want to nurture tech entrepreneurship in the suburbs—and Chester County, specifically,” he says. “That’s who I am, and that’s the story I want to tell.”

Check It Out

TREATMiNT Box Office Hours Testimonial

We’ve asked Founder of TREATMiNT Box, Kimberly Fink, to share her experiences after participating in an Office Hours session at Walnut St. Labs.

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“Going to office hours at Walnut Street Labs was an awesome experience. I needed some advice from someone who had been in my shoes. My questions were answered and I was able to meet other entrepreneurs in the area. If you are wondering if you should make an appointment… you should!”
— Kimberly Fink, Founder of TREATMiNT Box

Advance Your Idea. Faster. Book Office Hours, Now!

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TREATMiNT Box offers gifts for cancer patients and survivors. It is the first-ever subscription service dedicated to cancer patients, survivors and caregivers. Our mission is simple: provide a rock solid way for friends and family to show their support and stay connected when it’s hard to relate. TREATMINT Box’s curated boxes and products provide inspiration to fuel the fight of those battling and healing from cancer. You can expect gifts that comfort and inspire. Send love, send support, send TREATMiNT!

Advance Your Idea. Faster. Book Office Hours, Now!

Facecrunch Office Hours Testimonial

We’ve asked the Founder of Facecrunch, Jon Beschen, to share his Office Hours experiences with us. It’s our hope that connecting with the right people will save your startup time, energy and other finite resources that propel your business forward.

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“Office Hours with Chris and Kevin were fantastically valuable for us. The first time they helped narrow in on the most marketable idea we were toying with. Their advice set us running. After some development time with the idea they both offered great feedback and insight into our product, which ultimately helped us refine it into an awesome offering.”
— Jonathon Beschen, Founder of Facecrunch & Partner at SparkNet Technologies

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FaceCrunch is a image recommendation and curation engine for digital advertising. Facebook specifically has been studied on how the choice of faces in your ad has more of an affect then almost any other attribute of the ad. Additionally there has been a lot of research released in the last 6 months on face bias in different advertising verticles.

Advance your idea. Faster. Book Office Hours!

Bergwall On Demand Office Hours Testimonials

We’ve asked Cofounder of Bergwall On Demand, Travis Bergwall to share his feedback after participating in an Office Hours session. The benefits of meeting with a specialist that can save you time and other valuable resources is better shown than told.

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“Office Hours is an exceptional resource for any entrepreneur looking to have questions answered by knowledgeable professionals. I met with Chris Dima and within a 20 minute conversation, he understood my business and was helped me generate unique ideas. I highly recommend Walnut St. Labs’ Office Hours and plan on utilizing the program in the future!”
— Travis Bergwall, Cofounder of Bergwall On Demand

Advance your Idea. Faster. Book Office Hours!

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Bergwall on Demand is a social enterprise with the aim of closing the skills gap. As a social enterprise, one of their objectives is human well-being and improvement. In definition, they are a company that allows anyone to master a specific subject. One of the biggest problems people face in their job search is the lack of expertise or necessary skills. Not having a vocational skill disables them to get careers in the field they want even when employers can’t seem to fill jobs fast enough. This is what is known as the skills gap and this is one of the problems Bergwall on Demand plans to help.

Advance your idea. Faster. Book Office Hours!

Covered by Technically Philly!

“If your community doesn’t have what you want in it, start creating.

That was the thinking behind Walnut St. Labs, a new West Chester incubator and coworking space from entrepreneur Chris Dima.

A little under a decade ago, Dima, 40, tired of commuting to Philadelphia for his job as an adult education teacher, decided to take any job he could that was walking distance from his house. That happened to be at Economy.com, which later sold in 2005 to Moody’s for $27 million. Dima’s been working in startups — only within walking distance from his house — ever since.”

Read over at Technical.ly/Philly