Field Guide

WELCOME, you are now in Cahoots

Cahoots is a uniquely inspiring tech hub designed to help our members and community thrive. We are founders, builders, creators, fixers, investors, and neighborly folks.

Cahoots started in 2015 when our founders Guy Suter, Lindsay Snider, Ian Berry and Joe Malcoun came across these three historic buildings in downtown Ann Arbor. They then crafted a mission to create a central location for Michigan’s tech scene, and to give our community an affordable downtown option for tech entrepreneurs to work and grow their business. Demolition began in 2016, with a strong focus on retaining the unique features of these historic buildings while also modernizing them. We officially opened in October 2019.

We believe in the intangibles:

  • A supportive work environment that encourages diversity and encourages innovation.

  • You can be yourself here.

  • We aim to foster genuine friendships and connections.

  • We are here to support you doing hard things - in business, work and life.

  • This is your place, too.

Using

the Space

Cahoots Building Hours

Our building is 24/7. You can cowork anytime day or night within your membership level. The building is always accessible to you using a physical keycard or phone app.

Monday-Friday: The front door unlocks with the Cafe Hours. Use your keycard after hours.

Saturday/Sunday: The front door is unlocked during cafe hours on Saturday (8am-4pm) and Sunday (9am-3pm).

Be In Cahoots App

This is our membership management tool that you have been invited to download. You can download the ‘Be In Cahoots’ app, or use members.cahoots.com. You can do the following things by logging into the app:

  • Book Conference Rooms: book a conference room, see the conference room calendar, & edit bookings.

  • Register Guests: When you know a guest is coming, please register them in the Cahoots app.

  • View and Pay Invoices: You can see membership options and access billing through the app.

Kitchen Cohabitation

  • Clean up after yourself. Occasionally, be a good neighbor and clean up someone else’s mess, too.

  • Put dirty dishes in the dishwasher, and look for the clean/dirty magnet to note the dishwasher’s status. If the dishwasher is clean and you have a minute, unload it and help out your fellow coworkers.

  • Label your refrigerated food or it becomes community property, and don’t leave food lingering there for more than a week. We empty the fridges the last Friday of the month.

  • Share with your friends. Add to the stash. Bring snacks to share. Be the doughnut fairy on occasion.

Please be respectful about your conference and phone room bookings. Do not use rooms as your private office, and if you book a room, make sure you use it.

Remember that we share the space with 200+ people!

Conference Rooms & Phone Rooms

We have several conference rooms and phone rooms for you to use. They are all bookable in the Be In Cahoots app, and we have five phone rooms that are non-bookable and first come first serve. Please leave conference/phone rooms ready for the next group to come in and get to work. This means:

  • Wiping down the whiteboard before you leave

  • Putting pens, markers, remotes back in the caddy

  • Taking all trash with you when you leave

  • If you move furniture, plants, etc, put them back where they were when you came into the room

Phone Etiquette

For phone and Zoom calls where you are heavily involved, find a phone room or conference room to take calls. If you are able to monitor your volume you are welcome to take calls from your desk. Phone rooms, breakout spaces and small conference rooms all work well for calls.

Guests

When you invite guests to the space, you are expected to greet them in the lobby. If you are not present, a member of the cafe will send you a Slack message to let you know someone is here for you. We do not let guests into the workspace for security reasons. Guests are people coming to meet with you in the space, not those coming to work independently of you - the latter needs to book a day pass.

Dog Policy

Cahoots is dog-friendly for polite, clean, well-behaved pups. Before bringing in your dog, please check with your neighbors to make sure no one is allergic or would prefer a dog free work zone. Please make sure that your dog:

  • Uses its indoor voice and outdoor bathroom.

  • Is gentle and loving to both humans and other dogs.

  • Brings a bed, pillow or blanket to lie on.

  • Makes every effort to not wander while their owner is coworking.

  • Says hello to Team Cahoots!

If any dog growls at, nips, bites, or lunges at any other dog or human member they will be asked to stay at home. If any member has severe allergies to dogs, all canine memberships will be suspended.

You are entirely and completely responsible for anything your dog does while at Cahoots. This may include directly or indirectly injuring someone or destroying or soiling Cahoots property. Remember, dogs are visitors, not daily commuters, and they should not distract from members’ ability to work.

GETTING AROUND THE SPACE

Cahoots is made up of three historic buildings combined. The office building closest to Fourth St is called 202, and building furthest from Fourth St is 210. The building in the middle serves as the connector and place for people to meet in the middle, through the cafe and event space on the first floor, and the main kitchen on the second floor. You can download and reference our map at any time to orient yourself to the space and find the room you are looking for.

Printing & Scanning

Printing and scanning is included with your Cahoots membership. To use the network printers, first make sure you are connected to the Cahoots wifi. If you are connected to Cahoots Cafe & Events wifi, printing will not work. Then, connect to the printer of your choice (see our map to locate a printing station).

1st Floor, near the back of the part time space: Xerox VersaLink C405 (64:cc:16) (10993)

2nd Floor in the upstairs printing station in the back corner to the far right of the kitchen: Xerox VersaLink C405 (64:cb:d3) (43366)

2nd Floor next to Ad Adapted: HP OfficeJet Pro 8020 series [7DD5DA]

To connect with a Mac:

  • Go to Settings > Printers & Scanners

  • Click “Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax”

  • Select one of the two printers above and click “Add”

To Connect with a PC:

  • Select Start > Go to settings

  • Select bluetooth & devices > printers & scanners

  • Go to Add Device, select one of the two printers above, and add

If you experience an error adding the printer, you may need to manually install the driver for the printer. This happens with some devices like the Microsoft Surface. First, install the Xerox Smart Start Driver Installer at this link here, and select the appropriate download for your device. If you cannot locate the printer, select the general driver for the Xerox C405 printer, and then go back and try adding it again under your printer settings.

To Scan:

The Xerox C405 printers include the option to scan your documents and send them as a PDF to your email. Go to Home > Scan To > Email > Enter your email > Select the appropriate settings. Be sure to scroll down and select “2-sided Scanning” if your document is double sided. Then you should be able to load your documents at the top of the printer and push “Scan” in the top right corner.

Social Events

We host a variety of member events that are often free and open to anyone, with the intention of bringing people together to socialize, learn and grow. These events are generally held in our event space or lobby, and we announce them in Slack, in our newsletter, and around the space.

The Community

Member Hosted Events

Members are encouraged to host events! Want to sponsor a ping pong tournament, or host lunch? Get in touch with a member of Team Cahoots and we will help you make it happen.

Coworking spaces are unique in the way that they enable you to work closely to others without working necessarily on the same team as them. Cahoots attracts a diverse crowd of people, many of which come here specifically to engage with the tech and entrepreneur community.

Community is built when one person bridges the gap - be the first one to say hello in the kitchen. Compliment someone's shoes. Pet someone's dog. When you need help - ask. There is a large group of people who are here because they want these interactions.

Slack

Much of our communication, important announcements and jokes alike, happens in our Cahoots Slack workplace. This is the best place to get questions answered, get in touch with Team Cahoots quickly, and even find a lunch buddy.

Meet the Team

  • Chelsea Hohn

    Executive Director

    Chelsea comes from a journalism and marketing background, with a strong interest in community, design, and maintaining spaces that feel comfortable and inspiring. She loves supporting passionate people in her community, and thrives on coming up with new ideas. When she's not running throughout the building at Cahoots, you’ll find her running her floral design business, planning her next trip, on her bike, or somewhere outside.

  • Liz Barney

    Marketing & Community Director

    Liz Barney has a background in photography, journalism, and filmmaking. She moved back to Ann Arbor in 2022 to be closer to family, Cahoots was one of the first places she found a sense of community when she returned to Michigan as a remote worker. She loves sharing opportunities for that same connection with others. When she isn’t working at Cahoots you'll find her working on her next documentary, performing stand-up comedy, rowing, hiking, and hanging out with her backyard chickens.

  • Quin Mentzer

    Community Coordinator

    Quin's background is in customer service, always ensuring everyone feels supported and connected. An Enneagram 9, she thrives on helping others and creating a welcoming environment. Quin is passionate about embracing challenges and discovering innovative solutions to enhance the coworking experience. When she’s not helping members at Cahoots, you can find her on a hike with her dog, helping her husband renovate their house or at the library reading the newest psychological thriller novel.

  • Grace Higgins

    Cafe Manager

    Grace is a former pastry chef with a long career in the restaurant industry. She is passionate about supporting local businesses and sourcing the best ingredients available. She dreams of one day opening her own coffee and pastry shop. When Grace isn’t working you might find her at the farmer’s market, the lake, or working on developing her own recipes at home.

  • Kevin Bonner

    Mr. Fix-it

    Kevin is our tech guru and problem-solving extraordinaire. With extensive experience in IT, he's the go-to person for all things technical. From troubleshooting software issues to setting up networks, Kevin is our go-to guy when there's something to be fixed. When he's not being the most helpful guy around, he's playing Mario Kart in the diag, having a beer on a patio, or riding his bike around town.

  • Reach out to Team Cahoots

    Not sure who to reach out to? Send an email to [email protected] to reach all our admin team and we will handle it from there!