The 834 Learning Hub is where we throw fun shindigs, cool people come to work, Big Deal Energy™ gathers and workshop it up.
Come network, learn, and escape the really hard shit. Enter through the bright orange door.
We’re the hostest with the mostest.
We built, and Kim designed, the 8THIRTYFOUR Learning Hub to be different. It’s not your typical event or coworking space. The lighting, colors, wallpaper, layout, and dogs are all very intentional. You’ll feel it when you walk in; the vibe is cozy, warm, and inviting.
Kim bought the 8THIRTYFOUR building in 2021 to get us back where it all started.
8THIRTYFOUR is named after the home she owned in the Creston neighborhood. Little did she know it would become a symbol of resilience, grit, and failure.
It’s the reason behind her tattoo: Find comfort in the uncomfortable.
Need a cool spot for your offsite team training or leadership quarterly?
We’re ready for ya.
The 834 Learning Hub has everything we love, and you should, too.
Kim designed it to include all her favorite things: wallpaper, color, dogs, Gen X memorabilia, funky wet bar, two bathrooms (even a shower), full kitchen, and a killer sound system.
It’s only fitting for us to own a building where a trailblazing female operated her business in 1906 alongside her husband’s retail store.
The Phillips family represented one of the longest-running retail tenures in Grand Rapids history; L.E. Phillips Jewelry in the 1365 Plainfield building, from 1906 until 1973.
Dr. Eva Phillips, a certified and licensed Optometrist, ran her practice out of the jewelry store’s secondary parlor.
Together, they offered a unique one-stop shop, which expanded to include appliances, record players, and more. The couple operated the shop through two World Wars and the Great Depression, acting as a neighborhood matriarch and patriarch.
Since we have the coolest space ever, we host quarterly events (outside the usual happy hours). Our first Uncomfortable Community Conversation was in 2025; we tackled the systemic bias women owned businesses face within the financial industry. Needless to say, it was standing room only.
Change only happens if you talk about the uncomfortable shit, which is something we’ve kind of made a career of…19 years and counting.
Uncomfortable Conversations is where we tackle what some would say is the hard or taboo stuff (these people are assholes): diversity, equity and inclusion.
We’re not interested in checkboxes. We’re interested in breakthroughs. Whether you’re a Leslie Knope—overflowing with binders and optimism—or a Ron Swanson—valuing efficiency and hard truths—our schools have a place for you. We believe that when you strip away the corporate jargon, what’s left is a fundamental human need to be heard, to be valued, and to be better than you were yesterday.
We bring 100% of ourselves to the table, and we expect you to do the same. No filters, no fluff.
Information without implementation is just noise. We focus on shifting behaviors that drive long-term results.
You’re not just a student; you’re part of the tribe. We support our graduates long after the cohort ends.
Stop following rules meant to keep you small. Become the unforgettable force you were born to be.
