About Station 2 Innovation

At Station 2 we believe that people and businesses thrive in communities.

What makes Station 2 great? You do!

At Station 2 Innovation our mission is Serving Entrepreneurs, Building Community & Growing Businesses in Bradenton & Beyond!”. We build community by supporting a space for coworking, collaboration and networking; serving entrepreneurs through education and peer support; and growing businesses with mentoring, resources, and connections.

Building Connected Communities. At Station 2, we believe that people and businesses thrive in connected communities. Here you will find a well-connected and diverse group of members, including entrepreneurs across multiple sectors and services.

Our coworking businesses are not limited to potential high-growth companies like in many spaces. Our members include for-profit, not-for-profit, technology, legal, health, media, logistics, photography, payment processing, a global sales organization, and several community resource-based businesses. In short, a little bit of everything!

Why Entrepreneurs and Community? We recognize that people become entrepreneurs in one of two ways: by choice or by necessity. We welcome both types and find these are very compatible in building a resilient and supportive community. Inspirational leadership provides a catalyst for action, and an empowered local community becomes the engine for change and opportunity.

Over the last seven years we have purpose-built Station 2 to serve the local community in Bradenton, FL. We are creating value for the city and creating a community meeting place for activities of all kinds. Access to new people and new ideas is powerful and sustaining. Our process works to build trust within the community while building capacity within individuals and businesses.

Business success does not happen in a vacuum – research shows that individuals and businesses with peer & member support far outperform and are more successful than those without support. Entrepreneurs have particular needs for education, mentoring, and connections to help them successfully launch and grow their businesses.

A Little About Our History

0319 old station 2 B

Station 2 is housed in a 100-year-old, 2-story brick building originally built as the town hall for the historic Village of Manatee.

Long ago, this location was the end of the Cracker Trail, just east of today’s downtown Bradenton. It was a happening place – where Florida cowboys (known as ‘Crackers’ for the sound of their whips) would drive their herds to be loaded aboard boats and rail for transportation and sale to Cuba and points beyond. After the cowboys had been paid for driving their cattle clear across the state, many were ready for some celebration, adding to the colorful stories that abound in this part of Florida.

As times changed and years went on, Station 2 has been home to a fire and police station (we still have a jail and a bank vault door!) and various city & county governmental offices. We have operated Station 2 in this space since early 2015.