Distillery Labs — Local services in Peoria

Game-changer for early-stage founders! I'm launching my startup enterN out of Distillery Labs and couldn't be happier with the decision. This place has literally extended my runway by 12 months just through the incredible rent savings alone - absolutely crucial for a bootstrapping founder. But the affordability is just the beginning. The community here is phenomenal - I'm surrounded by supportive mentors and other founders who genuinely want to see each other succeed. The collaborative atmosphere makes it easy to connect, share ideas, and learn from others who are on similar journeys. The events they host are top-notch and always provide real value, whether it's educational content or networking opportunities. The makerspace is fantastic if you need to prototype or build anything physical. Plus, there are some truly impressive startups operating out of this building that serve as daily inspiration. What really sets Distillery Labs apart is their extensive network of community partners - from SBDC and Peoria Next to various chambers of commerce and business development centers. This gives you access to resources you'd never find on your own. Doug's leadership embodies the perfect founder-first mentality. His approach of "remove the ego, focus on the founder" isn't just a catchphrase - it's genuinely how this place operates. You can tell he's built something special here. If you're a founder in central Illinois looking for an affordable, supportive launchpad for your startup, Distillery Labs is absolutely the place to be....

Distillery Labs is a fantastic asset to our community and to Greater Peoria. The building itself is incredible, but it’s the community inside that makes it something truly remarkable.

The staff is always ready, willing, and able to help you navigate your entrepreneurial journey and will make sure you are plugged into the right resources.

The folks in here that are startup founders are also always willing to brainstorm, to bounce ideas, and to help find resources or solutions to help you launch your own startup!

There is Cafe Distilled (a work in progress) that will feature a coffee bar that is staffed by individuals with disabilities in a partnership with CWTC - I mean, how cool is that!? - and it will provide a storefront for local businesses from underrepresented communities to have access to space, a customer base, and the amenities to test or grow their business without all the overhead like rent, etc.

There are great opportunities to learn and grow - not just as an entrepreneur but as a person, too - in events like their Winning Wednesday Workshops, Fail Club, Ideators Club, and Slices & Startups.

If you haven’t been, you should definitely check it out! The lobby is open to the public and they give out FREE coworking day...

I was finally able to get in to see the space after running into one of their employees at the Ignite event and him taking me on a tour of the facility.

It's a really great space, unfortunately there seem to be a great deal of communication issues.

I originally had signed up for a tour via their website back in March - I took the afternoon off and came in and waited in the lobby for over 90 minutes but no one ever showed for the tour and there wasn't anyone at the desk.

I got a lead to connect with Malaya and I emailed in three times to try to rebook that tour, but after nearly 2 months I gave up on that.

Finally, I met the rep they had at Ignite and he was super helpful - he showed me around the place over lunch the following Monday and got me set up with a digital membership.

I guess it's a great space if you know the right person to connect with but if you're like me and you just "stumble up" this space - you probably won't have a lot of success in getting in.

If the communication situation can improve, I'll definitely improve my...