The Problem

A need to expand.

For years, Akin has provided affordable studio spaces, community support, and exposure for many of Toronto’s artists, designers, and creatives. However they were beginning to realize that their organization was growing fast, and they needed help effectively expanding in order to continue offering support to the community.

Finding and Defining the Opportunity

Supply & demand, and internal reworking.

There were several opportunities and improvements available to Akin. First, there was an obvious demand for studio spaces, and a great number of under-utilized spaces across the city. This included entire strip malls that could be repurposed, but were otherwise overlooked.

Akin had the chance to become some of the best commercial realtors supplying space to the arts community, but there was also some internal structural optimization to address before they could get there. Akin needed to strengthen the function and autonomy of its board and staff.

Rising to Challenges

Personable but effective.

An interesting challenge we encountered from this project had to do with how personable Akin was in interacting with its clientele. Their staff spent time speaking to each individual creative they would serve which was great for building relationships, but less great for efficiency in managing bookings. Akin needed to find a middle ground between automating its process, and remaining connected to their clients. 

Results and Final Takeaways

Paving their own way to success.

NetGain helped Akin improve its internal structure and realize its opportunities at hand, allowing it to become applicable for several new grants that would help support the organization into its expanding future.

We did so by restructuring Akin into two separate but complimenting entities. This allowed them to pursue their own distinct goals more effectively as Akin Collective (for-profit), and Akin Projects (non-profit).

Since working together, Akin has become one of the most affordable, accessible, and established groups to provide studio spaces to Toronto creatives.