Innovative News For August 2025

Aug 1

8 min read

Welcome to the Innovation Spot, a flexible coworking solution less than a mile from Downtown Woodstock! This month's newsletter highlights some new members, announcements for upcoming events, updates on exciting happenings this month, and more!

Your favorite coworking SPOT has been nominated in the My Canton/Woodstock Best of 2025 in the category of Best Coworking Space! How exciting! Please use this LINK on Monday, August 4, starting at noon (and every day after that until August 11) to vote for us! We would really REALLY appreciate the support for our small business in our awesome community. Rules: you can vote once per day Aug. 4-11 at this LINK

Upcoming Events at The Innovation Spot:

Monday, August 4 - National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day.

In 1938 in Whitman, Massachusettes, a lady named Ruth Wakefield and her husband, Kenneth, ran the infamous Nestle Toll House Inn Restaurant for local travellers and diners. The story goes that one day, Ruth was baking her cookies that normally called for cocoa, but she discovered that she had run out. So she resourcefully chopped a Nestle Toll House chocolate bar into chunks and put that into her dough, expecting that it would melt through while baking. Instead, to her surprise, the chocolate held it's shape and got soft and gooey...and the chocolate chip cookie was thus born!

Members and their guests will enjoy chocolate chip cookies in the kitchen areas to celebrate the birth of America's claim to confectioner fame!

Friday, August 1 -Sure Connexions.Sure Connexions has moved to Fridays! Sure Connexions is an interactive faith-based networking organization that meets at 12:00 PM online through Zoom, and in-person with lunch at The Innovation Spot.

ClickHEREto sign up for Sure Connexions!

Friday, August 15 -School Supplies Drive for Must Ministries. The Innovation Spot has once again partnered with Must Ministries to provide school supplies to area students. Many of the students they serve are new students who come in to school after the year starts, so we need YOUR HELP to keep supplies at the ready.

Please drop your donated school supplies at the front desk in the crayola barrel between now and Augst 15.

Back to School Supplies Drive — SCHOOL SUPPLIES DRIVE

Welcome to the NEW Inspiration Blog! We will occassionally have an article on our website that we want to share with you in our newsletter. In this section, you'll find an excerpt of the article along with a link to our website to finish reading it. We hope to provide helpful business practices and ideas, information about coworking and shared spaces, event planning advice, and many other useful topics!

Clear Communication

In a previous post, we looked at Mindset and Motivation: using tools to create an environment in which internal rewards can be realized by employees and/or coworkers. Things like words of affirmation, transparency...read more here

Member Spotlight: Ray Repic [Rhino USA, Inc.]

Meet Ray Repic, Chief Operating Officer and co-owner at Rhino USA, Inc., where he has helped scale the family-run adventure gear brand since joining his brother and nephews in 2018. Ray is passionate about equipping people—both internally and externally—for adventure with dependable gear and a fearless mindset.

Rhino USA designs and sells premium tie-downs, towing, and off-road recovery gear, along with tire accessories and camping products—all backed by a lifetime warranty and US customer support. Ray brings over 36 years of Fortune 500 business experience to the Rhino leadership team which included time at Dell SecureWorks, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Affiliated Computer Services and Rockwell Aerospace. These experiences have provided him with a strong foundation in technology, systems, and operational strategy.

He truly embodies Rhino’s mantra, “Worry Less | Adventure More”, bringing it to life in business and his personal life, where he frequently explores the outdoors and makes memories with his grandchildren. Under his direction, the company donates a portion of every sale to charities including the Wounded Warrior Project, ASPCA, and St. Jude. Ray’s leadership in shaping both process and purpose has been essential to Rhino’s international growth. From Woodstock, Georgia, he leads with values, focus, and a drive for meaningful adventure.

View the Rhino website for more information!

August 6 Fresh Start Mornings. Fresh Start Mornings brings the entrepreneurial community together for educational programs and to support one another with crowd-sourced feedback.

August Presenters: Fuel Daddy & Cherokee Family Orthodontics

2025 Fresh Start Mornings Meeting Schedule

9:00am – Networking

9:15am – Program Begins

1st Wednesday of the month @ The Circuit

One Innovation Way, Woodstock GA 30188

Coffee and networking starts at 9 a.m. at The Circuit Woodstock; programs will start at 9:15 a.m.

Click HERE for more details!

Every Thursday, August 7, 14, 21 Screen on the Green. Join the Woodstock Arts for “Screen on the Green,” a free movie series out on the Woodstock Arts Event Green! They will have a free movie EVERY THURSDAY THIS SUMMER!

The movie for

August 7 is Wall-E

August 14 is Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse

August 21 is Family Fun Night and includes The Wizard of Oz

all start at 7:00 pm

Bring lawn chairs or a blanket and enjoy the sun set and a beautiful movie with the whole family! Drinks available for purchase for both kids and adults!

Click HERE to learn more!

Saturday, August 9 Woodstock Summer Concert Series - 10,000 Maniacs. Our show will feature one of the most enduring and influential bands in alternative rock: 10,000 Maniacs. With over 10 million albums sold and Grammy nominated hits, they are sure to be incredible.

Free event but set up early!

Click HERE for more details.

Thursday, August 14 SchmoozaPalooza. SchmoozaPalooza is a networking event, open to the public, designed to bring you and local businesses together in a fun and casual networking environment.

Attendees will enjoy door prizes, food, and FUN - all while previewing the latest products and services being offered in Cherokee County!

You don't want to miss this opportunity to connect with fellow business leaders and community members!

4:00 - 7:00 pm

at Woodstock City Church

Click HERE to learn more!

Wednesday, August 20 Power Hour. Join the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce for an hour of fast paced networking with fellow business leaders as well as the Chamber Board Chair, Neil Blackman, and Chamber President & CEO, Pam Carnes.

Before the hour ends, you will have a chance to share

about your business or organization for all to hear!

Don't forget to bring promotional items from your business for the share table!

10:00-11:00 am at

Cherokee Chamber Board Room

3605 Marietta Highway

Canton, GA 30114

Cost for Power Hour:

Chamber Members (advance): $5

Future Members: $10

Click HERE to register.

Thursday, August 21 Family Fun Night - No Place Like Home. The Family Fun Night series returns for its third season of themed night goodness throughout Summer 2025. This event series takes place on the third Thursday of the month – May through August – from 5pm to 9pm. Activities take place throughout Downtown Woodstock, culminating in a movie on the Woodstock Arts Event Green.

On this final evening of the Family Fun Night Series for 2025, the land of Oz will be making a magical visit to Downtown Woodstock. The featured movie will be The Wizard Of Oz on the Woodstock Arts Event Green.

For more information, click HERE!

Thursday, August 21 YPOW 10th Anniversary Celebration. Join the Young Professionals for their 10th Anniversary Celebration Networking Event @ THE CIRCUIT! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY YPOW AM!

Not sure if YPOW is for you?

Need a career change to keep you local?

Want to let more people in the community to know more about you and your business?

Want to get more involved with local events?

Do you Work, Play and/or Live in Woodstock?

If you answered YES to any of these, then should attend YPOW AM and see how this group can benefit you!!

7:30 - 8:30 am at The Circuit in downtown Woodstock

Registration Not Required.

Click HERE for more details.

Thursday, August 28 Creative Woodstock - Walking Tour.

The Downtown Woodstock Walking Tour Series offers guided walking tours that explore various aspects of the area. On the last Thursday of the month, April through October, guided tours will be offered with each month’s tour covering a unique topic. Tour-goers might find themselves learning about the history of the area, being amazed by beautiful public art, fascinated by weird & unusual downtown facts, or exploring the planning that has gone into making Downtown Woodstock one of the top downtowns in Georgia.

The Creative Woodstock Walking Tour will delve into the creative artsy side of Woodstock! The tour will explore public art currently on display throughout downtown, talk about future plans for more public art, and learn about the thriving creative economy in Downtown Woodstock with a visit to Made Mercantile to hear the behind the scenes story of this home to local makers.

For more information such as times, cost, location, click HERE.

Friday, August 29 INWDSTK Morning INfluence. Breakfast is served!

Morning Influence is a networking event which includes breakfast and a brief presentation that focuses on updates given by Greater Woodstock on important issues or services offered that affect the community as a whole.

BRING A GUEST and you will be instantly entered in our raffle to win some great prizes and giveaways!

Time: 8:00 - 9:00 am

Location: The Chambers at City Center

Event registration is required.

Click HERE to register!

Local Farmer's Markets Schedules

Waleska Farmer's Market May 2 - Sept. 26 Thursdays, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm

Acworth Farmer's Market Apr 4 - Oct. 31 Fridays, 8:00 am - 12:00 pm

Woodstock Farmer's Fresh Market Apr. 26 - Dec. 27 Saturdays, 8:30 am - 12:00 pm

Canton Farmer's Market June 1 - Aug. 31 Saturdays, 9:00 am - 12:30 pm

Welcome to our newest members of the Innovation Spot team!

Myrna Cesar

Actikare Home Care

Mike Bamber

Tamara Bamber

Brian Aicher

Coley McGhee

Firm Foundation Treatment Center

Jayson Abraham

Mallory Perdue

Kevin Smith

Quickflip Construction

We L♥VE Reviews!

We appreciate you and your partnership with The Innovation Spot! Leaving positive reviews on Google really helps small businesses more than you know. Every review helps, and we thank you in advance.

Click Here to Leave Us a Review!

Change is sometimes hard, but it can be very good.

Let us help you evaluate your workspace to see if you need a change 💡

The Innovation Spot partners with some great local businesses! See more information below...

It'll Buff Detailing offers a variety of services that will transform your vehicle. They have three fully functioning bays utilized to offer services such as paint correction, ceramic coating, and full vehicle details.

Visit their website by clicking HERE or call 714.714.1325.

You can also visit their new shop location at

195 Stockwood DriveWoodstock, GA 30188

We are thrilled to provide virtual assistant services through MD Virtual Assist. Are you in need of an extra hand with a variety of tasks such as social media marketing, calendar scheduling, and email campaigns? If it's on your to-do list but not a good use of your time, leave it to Mandy! She can provide dedicated support to executives, professionals, and entrepreneurs.

Check Out: www.mdvirtualassist.com