New App News

Dallas-based app gives fanatical fans another outlet for fanaticism

Dripthat is hoping cosplayers will make it indispensable.

Photo courtesy of Dallas Comic Con

There's a new app targeted toward "fanatical fans," and few are as fanatical as cosplay and comic-book enthusiasts. Which is exactly why the creators of the Dallas-based app Dripthat decided to focus on this niche community for its debut.

Designed to help creators share and monetize their content without sponsors or ads, Dripthat encourages micro in-app purchases for exclusive photos and videos. Called "drips," these bits of content are what the truly devoted seek out. It's sort of similar to another new Dallas-based app, CreateGate, though that one functions more as a directory for artists.

"Dripthat is an app that will empower the creator,” says CEO and co-founder Cole Egger. "We think social media is going in a direction that will not only embrace this kind of change, but in return, support and reward those who actually create great quality content."

The app isn't meant to replace social media, but rather work in tandem with the current platforms, while eliminating the need for outside sponsorship. Each user is in charge of his or her own content, deciding where to place a paywall, how much to charge, or even whether to charge at all.

It's free to browse Dripthat, but those who are looking to unlock the premium content can pay with dripcoins. The virtual currency starts at $1.99 for 15 dripcoins, and the price per dripcoin decreases as you buy larger packages. The creator of a drip receives 5 cents for each dripcoin spent on his or her content.

Dripthat for iOS went live in May, and an Android version is slated to roll out soon. The company may be small — seven employees currently work at the downtown Dallas office — but five of them are under the age of 24, giving the social-based technology startup a unique perspective.

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Coworking News

New coworking space to open in Dallas' Oak Lawn neighborhood

Office Evolution

A coworking space is opening in Dallas in a central location: Office Evolution, a Louisville-based coworking chain, will open what a release says is a "state-of-the-art coworking space" at 3500 Oak Lawn Ave. #360 in Dallas at the southeast corner of Lemmon Avenue.

No details on what makes it state-of-the-art, but construction is ongoing and an opening is anticipated in mid-October.

Office Evolution was founded in 2003 as a shared workspace-coworking environment, cultivated on the principles of "Ohana," the Hawaiian tradition that references family working toward a common goal. (The founder was from Hawaii.)

The company started out in Boulder, Colorado, then relocated its headquarters to Louisville. It's an affiliated brand of United Franchise Group, and is part of The Vast Coworking Group, which specializes in franchising within the coworking industry. All of their locations are franchised.

The Dallas location is owned by franchisee Michael Pickering, a Dallas native who runs a family-owned indoor soccer facility in Dallas. (There are two other Office Evolution locations in the DFW area in McKinney and Southlake, owned by different franchisees.)

They're describing the Dallas location at 3500 Oak Lawn Ave. as "Turtle Creek," although its location at Oak Lawn and Lemmon really puts it at the epicenter of Oak Lawn. (To further complicate matters, the building previously and incorrectly described its address as "Uptown.")

It's a seven-story building in which the majority of tenants are doctor and medical offices.

Office Evolution rates include a coworking day pass for $25, plus "flex" office options starting at $200 a month for 20 hours, up to $550 a month for 80 hours.

Amenities of the building that are also accessible to Office Evolution customers include a front desk; a 1,000-square-foot fitness center; covered parking; and on-site security six days a week.

According to a spokesperson, Pickering and his team put $1.2 million into the renovation to transform the space, which occupies most of the fourth floor where it will span 9,240 square feet of space with 41 total offices — one of which is earmarked as an "on-demand office" for the professional on the go.

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