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Vivienne Yang recently sat down with SoHo Broadway Initiative to tell us about VillageOne, what attracted her to SoHo, and her favorite parts of being in the neighborhood.
Year of arrival on SoHo Broadway: 2018
Address: 594 Broadway, Suite 701
What brought you to SoHo Broadway? What do you do here?
Before making the move to NYC, I found myself drawn to the SoHo community. SoHo Broadway is one of the most quintessential and dynamic neighborhoods in New York City, and I often noticed that cutting-edge ideas, albeit strange at times, had a chance of becoming a reality here.
I met many people who helped shape my vision and motivated me to become a dreamer. Two years ago, I decided to start VillageOne and SoHo was exactly where I wanted to be. When my broker took me here to see the 594 Broadway building, I knew. “This is it!”
What does your organization do, and what industry are you in?
VillageOne is a workspace designed for connecting creative and entrepreneurial minds. We provide a coworking space, meeting room, event venue and professional photo studio for varied needs. Our goal is to break down the walls between industries and create a community where people can exchange ideas and create a unique synergy.
We curate new artwork at our space to help established and emerging artists gain exposure to the public. At the same time, this provides a refreshing and motivating environment for our members.
What do you like about SoHo Broadway?
The craziness and the calm, the chaos and the order, the solitude and friendships that all coexist here in a perfectly harmonious way. People say it’s difficult to make friends in NYC, but I don’t think that is true. People around me are very supportive and always willing to help.
What is your favorite SoHo Broadway memory or experience?
My favorite experience is that I realized my dream of becoming an entrepreneur and started my own business here. Before launching VillageOne, I worked as an anchor for one of China’s biggest TV stations, Phoenix TV. I had the opportunity to live in Beijing, Hong Kong and traveled to many countries. It inspired me to bridge the eastern and western hemispheres.
In the future, I want to expand VillageOne in many major creative cities around the world and encourage growth among our members. I hope VillageOne can serve as a sharing platform from city to city, where people can introduce their products and work. And SoHo Broadway is the starting point of my dream.
If you had 20 minutes, where would you go?
I would check out the sample sales downstairs, the Artist & Fleas market, and have a cup of matcha latte at the corner of Prince Street.
What should we know about you outside of working/living here? What do you do for fun or are you looking forward to doing?
I love to watch different shows in the city. The stand-up comedy shows are hilarious around Washington Square Park. I also like to discover hidden bars and shops around SoHo and the Villages. During long weekends, I enjoy taking a trip to the suburbs outside of the city for a break.
