upcoming events.
The Lyceum Movement: Existentialism for the 21st Century (session 2 of 4)
Session 2: Martin Heidegger on Idle Chatter and Authenticity
One of the most important and controversial figures of modern philosophy, the German thinker Martin Heidegger gives an analysis of what he calls “idle chatter” that foresees the kind of discourse we associate with social media, ChatGPT, and corporate jargon. This session will examine his diagnosis of the problem of superficial language and how we can live and speak more deeply.
Dealt Hand Potluck!
We're going to be playing Can't Stop - the classic, push your luck dice game! This is going to be a head to head, single elimination bracket event. And winner gets a full weekend pass to the upcoming Capital City Gaming Convention!
On our Dealt Hand Game Days we bring a large selection of games to share and teach - you don't need to worry about learning the rules, we'll get you set up and show you how to play!
And the Potluck is just what it sounds like! Bring a dish to share, and your own flatware, and get ready to eat and play games! While Gravitate has a full kitchen, please bring food cooked (or in a slow cooker).
Aprils theme is Finger Food! We want to see your pinwheels, pickle wraps and every type of dip you can bring!
This event is family friendly, so feel free to bring the kids - our collection is great for all ages - and games go to 4pm, so you can drop in whenever, even if you're not hungry!
We've got so many games, that we can't bring them all - take a look at our collection here and message us if you have any requests!
Potluck at Windsor Heights
WHO DOESN'T LOVE A GOOD BRUNCH?
That's right, we're having breakfast for lunch on Wednesday, April 16th at 12pm at Gravitate Windsor Heights.
Bring something brunch-worthy or just show up hungry--you know we'll have plenty of food!
The Lyceum Movement: Existentialism for the 21st Century (session 3 of 4)
Session 3: Simone de Beauvoir on Freedom and the Struggle for Justice
One of the greatest feminists of all time, the French philosopher and novelist Simone de Beauvoir holds that freedom can’t be separated from justice. This session will explore her ideas about how to liberate ourselves and why we can’t be truly free until those around us are free too.
The Dealt Hand : Blood On The Clocktower Night
Blood on the Clocktower is a hidden role/deduction game - you'll be assigned a secret role, with the goal of helping your side of the game win! It's easy to pick up - if you've played games like Werewolf or Mafia before, you're going to be in the right headspace! This session we're going to be jumping into the THIRD scenario - Sects and Violets - it's the most complex setting, but we'll likely have a second copy running the first setting as well!
We'll be starting at 6pm - BYOB and be sure to mark your attendance so we can plan accordingly!
The Lyceum Movement: Existentialism for the 21st Century (session 4 of 4)
Session 4: Gabriel Marcel on Technology and the Mystery of Being Present
One of the most significant religious existentialists, the French philosopher Gabriel Marcel argues that humanity is now at the mercy of its technology: we serve what is supposed to serve us. This session will examine why he believes that we fall into the trap of technology and how we should open ourselves to a great mystery: the mystery of being present to ourselves, the people around us, our creativity, and existence itself.
Dealt Hand : Game Design Meetup
Come join us at the Des Moines Area Game Design Group's monthly playtesting night!
Bring a game you're working on, or come test out other folk's designs!
All are welcome!
The Lyceum Movement: Do Good Leaders Need to be Good People?
What Kind of Character Should We Expect of Those Who Seek to Lead Us?
Feat. Drake's Scott Raecker and Principal Financial's Erlin Kakkanad
The Lyceum Movement: Existentialism for the 21st Century (session 1 of 4)
Session 1: Søren Kierkegaard on Anxiety and Being Human
The brilliant and influential Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard once observed, “Whoever has learned to be anxious in the right way has learned the ultimate.” This session will explore why he believes that we need to think of anxiety as more than a disorder and how we can live with anxiety in a way that brings out our true humanity.
Gravitate Survey
Your experience at Gravitate Coworking matters to us, and we want to hear what’s working—and what could be better.
Our Gravitate Survey is now live, and your input helps us shape the future of our spaces and community.
The survey opens today, and will be available until Friday, April 4. It takes less than five minutes to complete and is anonymous unless you choose otherwise.
This is your chance to share your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions.
Take the survey here: https://gravitatecoworking.typeform.com/gravisurvey
Thank you for being part of our community and helping us make Gravitate even better.
The Lyceum Movement: Are We Losing Touch with Nature?
As developing technologies promise to remove more and more friction from our life, are we losing touch with reality?
Join our conversation with Anna Gray, Public Policy Director and Counsel at the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, and Dr. Stephen Biggs, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Iowa State University.
February Pretzel Day
We are still looking for presenters!
It’s Pretzel Day! Join us each month for a relaxed, fun event where two of our members share something they're passionate about—whether it’s a hobby, an experience, or something totally offbeat. It’s all about getting to know each other beyond work.
And of course, we’ll be munching on some Auntie Anne’s pretzels while we hang out!
Grab a pretzel, sit back, and enjoy the stories. We can’t wait to see you there!
The Lyceum Movement: What's the Point of College?
With higher education getting so expensive, it's a good time to ask: what is the point? Seeking wisdom? Training laborers? Credentialing?
Join the Lyceum Movement at Gravitate to discuss this and more with Dr. Scott Samuelson, philosophy professor at Iowa State University.
Additional speakers to be announced soon.
Bagels & Mimosas
This Valentine’s Day, Gravitate is treating our members to something special! We’re picking up some bagels from Black Bagel and whipping up mimosas—because you deserve a little extra love.
It’s our way of saying thank you for being part of the Gravitate community. We can’t wait to celebrate with you! Join us at any of our locations and enjoy these treats while you work or take a break. See you there!
January Pretzel Day
Grab your popcorn! I mean pretzels!
It’s officially season three of our monthly tradition, Pretzel Day. Join us each month for a relaxed, fun event where two of our members share something they're passionate about—whether it’s a hobby, an experience, or something totally offbeat.
For the first Pretzel Day of 2025 we have Jeff Shaffer talking about completing an Ironman and Community Manager Stacey Niles sharing her recent trip to Egypt! Head downtown to the Stairitorium, grab some pretzels and watch our January presenters kick off the new year.
Gravitate Bingo
Bingo is happening at Gravitate. No, seriously. Grab a card, get to know your fellow members better and explore Gravitates spaces.
Geoff Wood sightings are bonus points. If you get a BINGO, it's coffee on us!
Friendsgiving with the Iowa LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce & Gravitate Coworking
Join us to celebrate Friendsgiving with the Iowa LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce Region 1 team. We are excited to partner with Gravitate Downtown for this event and utilize their wonderful space. This will be our last mixer of 2024, and we want to celebrate with our favorite holiday shareables. We hope you can join us for food, libations, fun and games!
National Entrepreneurs Day! (Free coworking!)
Shake up your regular scenery & come to Gravitate on THURSDAY the 19th to celebrate National Entrepreneurs Day! We’re opening our doors for a FREE coworking day all day long from 8:00am-5:00pm at all locations. Whether you're an entrepreneur, freelancer, or creative, you're invited to experience the Gravitate community.
Halloween Costume Contest
This Halloween season we will be having a Gravitate costume contest across all locations!
Thursday, October 31st put on your best costume and head into Gravitate! Snap a photo of your amazing costume (you can ask a community manager to help!) and send the photo to Taryn on Slack. All photos must be sent in by 12:00pm to be counted in the votes! Voting will take place until 5:00pm Thursday when the winner will be announced.
1 Million Cups Des Moines
Every week, entrepreneurs present business ideas to the local community and learn how those around them can support their business in its growth. Your local 1 Million Cups (1MC) community gives you the opportunity to refine your elevator pitch to a diverse audience, access training programs, and engage with a network for support.
1 Million Cups Des Moines
Every week, entrepreneurs present business ideas to the local community and learn how those around them can support their business in its growth. Your local 1 Million Cups (1MC) community gives you the opportunity to refine your elevator pitch to a diverse audience, access training programs, and engage with a network for support.
1 Million Cups Des Moines
Every week, entrepreneurs present business ideas to the local community and learn how those around them can support their business in its growth. Your local 1 Million Cups (1MC) community gives you the opportunity to refine your elevator pitch to a diverse audience, access training programs, and engage with a network for support.
1 Million Cups Des Moines
Every week, entrepreneurs present business ideas to the local community and learn how those around them can support their business in its growth. Your local 1 Million Cups (1MC) community gives you the opportunity to refine your elevator pitch to a diverse audience, access training programs, and engage with a network for support.
1 Million Cups Des Moines
Every week, entrepreneurs present business ideas to the local community and learn how those around them can support their business in its growth. Your local 1 Million Cups (1MC) community gives you the opportunity to refine your elevator pitch to a diverse audience, access training programs, and engage with a network for support.
The Iowa Nice Creator on Creativity: Accessing creativity in yourself and others
Join us for an afternoon chat with Paul Benedict of The Discerning Lens, the creative mind behind Iowa Nice!
Paul will share insights from his journey and reveal strategies for maintaining a creative mindset. Discover how to keep your creativity flowing and accessible, no matter your field. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from one of Iowa's own content creators.
Hosted by Elevate Digital Solutions, Gravitate Coworking and The Des Moines Downtown Chamber
September Pretzel Day: Cory & Austin
Join us over the lunch hour for this month’s Pretzel Day! This month, we’ll hear from two of our Downtown members Cory who will be sharing about speed skating & Austin who will be sharing about the cello during this member show and tell. We’ll have plenty of snacks for you to enjoy, including those delicious soft pretzels!
See you there!
1 Million Cups @ DMACC Urban Campus
Every week, entrepreneurs present business ideas to the local community and learn how those around them can support their business in its growth. Your local 1 Million Cups (1MC) community gives you the opportunity to refine your elevator pitch to a diverse audience, access training programs, and engage with a network for support.
1 Million Cups Des Moines
Every week, entrepreneurs present business ideas to the local community and learn how those around them can support their business in its growth. Your local 1 Million Cups (1MC) community gives you the opportunity to refine your elevator pitch to a diverse audience, access training programs, and engage with a network for support.
Crokinole Tournament with Capital City Gaming Con!
Come join us with our friends at Capital City Gaming Con for our third tournament of the year!
We're going to bringing back our crowd favorite- Crokinole! This year, we're running it as a singles tournament - head to head, no worrying about your partner this year! The tournament will start at 3pm - but we'll have boards and other games going starting at 2pm! Feel free to bring your own beverages and snacks - and we'll have a great time!
Crokinole is a spectacular light dexterity game that is a mix of curling and darts that is easy to learn! We'll have Crokinole boards at events running up to the tournament, and we'll have boards set up early on the day of the tournament so you can have time to practice!
We're going to run this as a single elimination tournament - but as singles, not as doubles! The winner of each table will advance to the next round - and the grand champion will get a free pass to Capital City Gaming Con!
Community Drive
In July 2024, the DMARC Food Pantry Network assisted a record number of individuals, highlighting a critical community need. Gravitate is partnering with DMARC to collect non-perishable food items at all locations, anticipating even greater demand this fall. We will SIMULTANEOUSLY be hosting a clothing drive for Commonlove's pop-up shop, offering free gender-affirming clothing to trans, non-binary, and queer Folks. Your clothing donations will help foster inclusivity and support to those in need in our community.
1 Million Cups Des Moines
Every week, entrepreneurs present business ideas to the local community and learn how those around them can support their business in its growth. Your local 1 Million Cups (1MC) community gives you the opportunity to refine your elevator pitch to a diverse audience, access training programs, and engage with a network for support.
1 Million Cups Des Moines
Every week, entrepreneurs present business ideas to the local community and learn how those around them can support their business in its growth. Your local 1 Million Cups (1MC) community gives you the opportunity to refine your elevator pitch to a diverse audience, access training programs, and engage with a network for support.