Cultivating Community During the Coronavirus — How The Slate is Creating Programming for Uncertain Times

The Innovative Co-Working Company is Offering Free Studio Space to Small Businesses

Dallas artist Taelor Fisher teaches a family-friendly class using The Slate's in-house studio.

In Dallas’ crowded co-working scene, The Slate has always found a way to stand out. Founded by sisters Jodie Hasting and Shelly Slater, the highly curated Design District co-working space offers a wellness room, a podcast setup, a boutique filled with social impact brands, and an in-house studio built by WFAA’s News Channel 8, where Slater served as an anchor for 10 years.

Bust as more small businesses have pivoted their operations to the internet during the COVID-19 outbreak, the team at The Slate decided to start lending the fully equipped studio, with its massive white cyclorama wall, to small businesses in need of a virtual platform — free of charge.

Last week, Dallas-based Session Pilates hosted back-to-back workouts. Taelor Fisher taught a family-friend art class. Hari Mari co-founder Lila Stewart shared how her successful Dallas-based company is rethinking its business plan during these times. The content is available to stream for free on The Slate’s Facebook page — which offers a slightly clearer picture than what you might find on Instagram Live or IG TV. “We have a whole series. It’s going to be a little all over the board,” Slater tells PaperCity. “Some of it will be serious — someone is coming in tot talk about depression and anxiety. Some of it will just be super fun.”

the-slate_3160 the slate — Brittany Grignon and West Gissinger of Session Pilates record a mat Pilates class at The Slate.

In light of Dallas’ shelter-in-place order, going into effect at midnight, the team at The Slate is working around the clock today (at a safe social distance) to ensure there’s fresh content for at least the next week. See below for The Slate’s schedule of workouts, tutors, family-friendly gardening lessons and a cooking class that offers tips on fridge and pantry preservation. And tune in live tonight at 8 p.m. for “Faith Over Fear” with author and podcaster Tova Sido.

“The goal: to use our commercial production studio to keep community alive. We can still be connected even if it’s not face to face,” Slater says. “With my background, it feels just like home to me. It feels like I’m running my own little newsroom.”

Monday (March 23): Podcaster Tova Sido will go live at 8 p.m. for a conversation about “Faith over Fear.”